The Hardest Person to Forgive
by Haruko-Mizumi
Summary: To save Loki from a millennium of being imprisoned alone, Thor takes his brother to Earth to seek haven with the Avengers. Gaining the Avengers forgiveness will not be an easy feat for Loki, although he might find he has some things in common with each of them after all. Rated T just in case. Post Avengers. Follow up to "Who's to Blame".
1. Prologue- Escape

A/N: This is a follow up to "Who's to Blame?". Not exactly a sequel.

The way I decided to do this is that it'll be one chapter for how each of the Avengers forgives Loki, and one for Pepper (because she's awesome and I want to include her), one for Jane, and possibly Selvig (opinions if I should are welcome), which will lead up to the wrap up of the story and what happens regarding Odin. Also, there will be fair amounts of Thor and Loki brotherly fluff included.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Avengers, and I never would wish to.

**Prologue **

**Escape**

Thor strode purposefully back toward the throne room after escorting Loki to the dungeons. His anger must have been all too apparent, judging by the way any people he passed immediately shied away.

Before Loki had been shut up in the cell that would supposedly be his home for the next thousand years, Thor had embraced him tightly promised him he would not leave him there, that he would get him out.

Loki had merely looked at him hopelessly and shook his head, the gag still fastened around his face, not allowed to speak even before he was shut away.

Thor had never been more determined to prove someone wrong.

When Thor reached the throne room, he stopped outside the doors and peaked inside when he heard something surprising- or maybe not so surprising. His mother was laying harsh words on Odin, tears of anger and heartbreak streaming down her face.

"Loki is our son! _Your_ son! How can you do this to him! You know what he went through, how afraid he was! Thor spoke the truth; they would not have killed him! They would have made him suffer every day for eternity! How can you punish him for that!"

"That is not what I am punishing him for. I am punishing him for his treason against Asgard." Odin's voice was stern, but not harsh, and not raised.

"Do you have any idea what this will do to him? He will be worse than before, more hurt and angry! What will he do then? There may be no hope for him at the end of this ordeal!" Frigga snarled, looking very much like she would like to slap her husband. "And what of Thor? He loves his brother dearly. You remember what he was like when we thought Loki dead, it was almost as though we had lost both our sons. How do you think he will be by the end of all this?"

Thor entered the room at the mention of his name. "I am inclined to agree with mother on this matter." He said, struggling to keep his voice calm, but not entirely succeeding. "Not to mention that he now has the knowledge that you now view him as Laufey's son, instead of your own."

Odin was silent, his expression hard.

"Such knowledge will destroy him completely. We can save him. Rethink his sentence, I beg of you father. We cannot do this to him." Thor said, a pleading tone mixing with his anger.

There was silence before Odin gave a great sigh. "How can I ignore the words of my wife and son? I will think it over."

Thor's relief was little, as it was no promise of salvation for Loki, and he could see his mother felt the same, but at least it was something.

"Until then, Loki's sentence still stands. No one is to see him. Do you understand?" Odin spoke as if he were speaking to both Frigga and Thor, but his eyes were upon Thor as the words left his mouth.

"I understand." Thor replied, standing to leave. He would not go against Odin on this matter and visit Loki. At least, not yet.

* * *

"Thor, I have made a decision."

Thor stopped in his tracks as he was making his way out of the palace when he heard Odin's voice. It had been nearly a week since Odin's initial decision. Thor had decided to give Odin a full week, and if nothing changed, he would take matters into his own hands. He still considered that a possibility, depending upon what Odin said.

"Loki's punishment will be cut in half. Now he will spend merely five hundred years in solitude."

Thor did not turn but shook his head. "That is still far too great."

"That is the minimum punishment for a crime of his type. I cannot lessen it more than that."

"Why not? You are the king and he is your son."

"I will not have this argument again Thor. Loki knew what he was doing, and he knew what the punishment would be." There was no bitterness in Odin's tone, no emotion at all. "The time will go quickly. We will have Loki back with us before long." With that, Odin left, presumably going back to the throne room.

Thor inhaled deeply before continuing on his way.

Yes, he would have Loki back before long. He would make sure of that.

* * *

It was very late, long past midnight, as Thor strode through the dark halls towards the dungeons, a soft blanket folded over his arm. He portrayed an outside air of calm, but his mind was working on what he was about to do, playing what actions he was going to take over and over again.

The level of the dungeons Loki was being held in were not the lowest, but it was still dark and cold. There were two guards posted outside the door of his cell, both looking very much like they would rather be somewhere else.

"My lord, what brings you here so late?" One of the guards asked as Thor halted in front of them.

"It is cold here. I have brought a blanket for my brother."

"I am afraid that we cannot allow the prisoner to have it." The guard replied.

"Surely my brother should not be allowed to freeze for five hundred years." Thor said gruffly.

The two guards exchanged glances, and right as they did, Thor dropped the blanket and delivered blows to both guards that had them lying on the floor, barely conscious.

He didn't bother trying to find the keys to open the cell; he simply took Mjolnir from his belt and smashed the door down with it. He hurriedly stepped inside, knowing he would not have much time before more guards appeared. Heimdall would be seeing his actions, and would alert the All-Father. He looked frantically around the cell and found Loki cowering in a corner, looking at Thor in shock. Thor was instantly at Loki's side. "You know how to travel between the realms! Do it now!"

Loki, despite his bewilderment, flung his arms around Thor, and Thor felt a great jerk around his neck as he was pulled backwards and then was lying on hard ground, surrounded by darkness that was broken by artificial light.

Thor sat up to survey the surroundings. He recognized it after a moment. They were in New York; on top of one of the tall buildings he remembered being called a "sky scraper". He looked around for Loki and saw him sitting not far from him, curled up so that Thor couldn't see his face. Thor made his way to his side. "Brother?"

"Why!" Loki cried, lifting his face look at Thor. "Why did you do something so foolish? Accusing the All-Father, attacking the guards, and then helping me escape!" His eyes were rimmed with red, making Thor think he had spent some of every day he was in that cell crying.

"Because everything I said was true. All of it. None of this would have happened if it had not been for the All-Father's poor decisions." Thor said, pulling Loki close to his side.

"I deserved that sentence."

"You did _not_."

"The All-Father was right, I broke under torture and I knew what I was doing both then and when I attacked the Jotunheim." There were tears in the corners of Loki's eyes, which dripped down and were hurriedly wiped away.

"I have seen the extent to which they inflicted pain on you, and even I would have given in under such agony. As for what happened with the Jotunheim, I know your heart was in the right place. I am not saying you are entirely blameless, but it was not completely your fault. Both the All-Father and I allowed it to happen."

"How would you have allowed-" Loki started.

"I am the one who foolishly decided to go to the Jotunheim, which is what lead to you finding out the truth. I am sorry Loki."

"I'm the one who's sorry. I never meant for any of this-" Loki began in a slightly trembling voice, only to be interrupted by Thor again.

"I know, I know." Thor said, kissing Loki's temple.

Loki allowed a few more tears to fall, and he turned his eyes to Thor's. "Thank you Thor."

"You are welcome brother." Thor replied, smiling brightly.

They both climbed to their feet, dusting themselves off.

"You'll never be able to go back for helping me." Loki stated hesitantly, as if fearing Thor would reply with some kind of regret.

Thor shrugged. "It was worth it. I saved you. The All-Father's judgment was unfair."

"And another thing, I note you now call your father by his title." Loki noted.

"You are my brother, and he has said you are not his son. Therefore, neither am I." Thor gave Loki a small smile, as a hint of surprise passed over the trickster's face for a moment.

"…And what of me? Where am I supposed to go? No realm would have me. I merely chose Midgard because it was the first place I thought of."

"We will go to my friends. They will offer us a haven."

Loki looked at him in complete disbelief. "Have you gone mad? They'll kill me on sight."

"They will not, and I would not let them if they tried."

"Even if they don't, they are not going to help me." Loki snapped.

"They owe me a favor, and they are people of honor. I believe they will." Thor put an arm around Loki's waist, causing Loki to wince, and it did not go unnoticed. "Hold onto me." He commanded, lifting Mjolnir up.

Loki clasped his arms around Thor's neck even as he scowled. "You are _not_-"

"I cannot recognize Stark's tower from the ground, but I can easily from the air."

Loki grumbled a curse as they lifted up into the air to go in search of Stark Tower.

* * *

"Tony, we really need to talk about that business meeting tomorrow." Pepper insisted for probably the fiftieth time.

"Not now baby, there's science happening." Tony replied, tinkering in what would be the next model of the Iron Man suit.

Pepper gave Bruce, who was standing at a computer typing out calculations regarding the work being done on the suit, a pleading look.

Bruce held up his hands, clearly asking not to get involved.

Pepper sighed, setting down the papers she had been holding on a table. "Tony, when are you going to get seriously involved in your company?"

"I am seriously involved."

"Then let's talk about this meeting."

"Pepper-"

"_Sir, two men have just arrived in the top floor lounge, and your presence is requested."_ JARVIS's voice interrupted.

Tony frowned, abandoning the suit. "You let people into the tower?"

"_One of them you authorized to have access, a Mr. Odinson." _

"And the other?"

"_Mr. Odinson says the man is his brother."_

Bruce and Tony exchanged urgent looks before bolting out of the room, leaving a very bewildered Pepper behind. They arrived at the top floor lounge quickly, and found a serious looking Thor standing by the glass windows, with Loki hovering behind him, staring at the hole in the floor that had been made when the Hulk had flung him around, looking almost nervous.

"Thor? What're you doing here?" Bruce asked, breaking the silence.

"I have an urgent matter I need to speak with you." Thor replied, getting straight to the point. "I request a haven for myself and my brother."

Tony and Bruce exchanged glances again.

"JARVIS, tell Steve to get in here, call Clint and Natasha, and get me Fury." Tony ordered.

"_Right away sir."_ Came the ever-pleasant response.

* * *

"You have _got_ to be joking." Fury said, looking at everyone in the room seriously from the monitor he was using to communicate with the Avengers.

"He isn't." Tony replied, staring over at Thor from his seat at the long conference table.

"Thor, he's a war criminal." Natasha said, a surprising air of calm around her. "If he stays here, we have to turn him over to SHIELD."

"What would be his fate if that were to happen?" Thor asked, from his place in front of Loki near the back of the room, as if to protect him from the gazes of Fury and the Avengers.

There was silence before Natasha answered. "He would be executed."

"Unacceptable. I shall not allow it."

"It's the law around here." Clint grumbled, watching Loki closely as he hovered behind his brother, eyes constantly turned toward the floor.

Thor took a deep breath, and turned back to Loki, grasping his tunic, and making Loki frown at him.

"No! You are _not_ going to-" Loki didn't finish as Thor yanked it up, exposing Loki's chest and abdomen.

There was a dead silence in the room.

Harsh scars crisscrossed and overlapped all across his body, some of them an angry red from not having healed properly, some as wide as Loki's own hands, and a few with the look of being infected. Another thing they all noticed was that Loki was unhealthily thin, obviously having been starved.

"This is what the Chitauri did to him. This is how they convinced him to move against Earth. They would have continued forever until he submitted, because they needed him." Thor's voice was trembling in rage.

Loki slapped Thor's hand away, and pulled his tunic back down, his expression a mix of irritation and shame.

"…I thought you guys were like gods. Why haven't they healed?" Steve asked, breaking the silence, his tone full of sympathy.

"They were inflicted by a magic that leaves a permanent mark. The scars will never go away, and some have not healed properly because he was never given proper attention from our healers upon returning home." Thor answered.

"Why?" Bruce asked, shock evident on his face.

"I fear Odin was harsher than I would have ever expected with Loki. He does not even consider him his son anymore."

At that, nobody failed to notice Loki's eyes return to the floor, hanging his head slightly.

"You owe me a favor. I normally would not insist upon it being repaid, but this is an urgent matter to me." Thor paused. "Please."

Loki's eyes shot towards Thor in surprise, as did Clint's and Tony's.

"What about your father? Won't he come get you?" Fury questioned, his expression unreadable.

"The Bifrost is broken and will take time to repair. I do not believe he would use the tesseract to come here, bringing it back to Earth, after what happened the last time it was here." Thor responded.

Tony chewed his lip before he spoke up. "It's my tower, my decision. And my decision is yes."

All eyes fell on him.

Tony didn't elaborate on his choice, but gave Fury a pointed look.

Fury sighed. "All right, I agree. I'll keep this under wraps, no one and myself but you will know about this. But be sure he behaves." With that, Fury cut the communication.

And barely a moment later, Bruce walked right up to Thor and Loki. "We should get you to the infirmary, so I can look at those wounds."

Loki fought to keep his surprise from being expressed. Bruce was addressing _him_ directly.

Thor nodded in answer for Loki, pausing for only a moment to look at Tony. "Thank you Stark." And then he followed Loki and Bruce, putting a supportive arm around Loki's shoulders.

"You know," Clint said after a long uncomfortable silence, anger, with a touch of confusion, all too apparent in his voice. "He looked really bad when he first showed up. All pale, and sick."

"How are we supposed to treat him now?" Steve said, slowly sitting back down. "Any normal person would have died from the looks of those scars, which means he was probably tortured even more than any human could take."

Natasha stared straight ahead of her, seeming to only be focusing on breathing evenly, Tony doing the same.

The question remained unanswered.

**End Prologue**

A/N: It took me a very long time to actually figure out how I'm going to do this story, and even longer to come up with a title that didn't sound too damn corny.


	2. Already Forgiven: Thor

A/N: Relatively fast update this time. I unfortunately can't promise every update will come this quickly; I just ended up having a lot of free time this week. As my college finals get closer, updates will probably come slower, but I will try not to keep you guys from every waiting too long.

Major Thor and Loki fluff chapter, because Loki needs Thor's forgiveness more than anybody else's (if he doesn't already have it). Not slash.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Avengers.

**Already Forgiven: Thor**

Loki displayed extraordinary strength regarding his wounds while Bruce examined and treated them, although he did give quiet hisses of pain as Bruce cleaned his infected gashes with stinging antiseptic and bandaged them, but when Bruce left for the night, leaving Thor and Loki alone, Loki had dropped the act and given into how much pain he actually felt. He trembled and moaned, shivering and sweating from a fever.

"Why did you hide this?" Thor asked as he stroked Loki's damp hair from his seat beside the bed Loki was lying on.

"I would not show such weakness in front of them." Loki answered thickly.

Thor couldn't help but feel a moment of happiness that Loki would feel safe revealing the effects of his injuries in front of him. "It is not weakness Loki. You are ill, this is to be expected."

"It would be unwise to let them know regardless. It's bad enough you let them know I am wounded in the first place." Loki replied weakly.

"You are in no danger brother. I will not allow any harm to come to you." Thor assured him.

Loki's lips twitched, but whether to make a smile or a frown, Thor didn't know. "Do you intend to stay the entire time I'm kept in this room?"

"Of course."

"Thor, I don't-" Loki's retort was cut off as he shivered suddenly, which made him turn away from Thor and curl up in response to the resulting pain.

Thor moved his hand to rub Loki's back, and despite the insistence that he was sure Loki had been about to give that he didn't need Thor to stay, Loki relaxed considerably. "This truly is nothing to be ashamed of." Thor paused a moment before a hint of a smile touched his lips. "We used to care for each other when we were children, do you remember? When mother was too busy with her duties as queen to tend to us?"

"You said you wanted to look after me, that you didn't want the servants to do it. I did the same because I felt I owed you for that." Loki remained turned away so that Thor could not see his expression.

"I hardly enjoyed seeing you ill, but I never minded."

"You always took care of me. Even more than Odin or mother did." Loki sighed, and carefully turned on his other side to face Thor.

"I am your brother Loki. That is what I was supposed to do."

Loki said nothing as Thor took his hand, rubbing his thumb over Loki's pale knuckles.

"Sleep Loki. You are safe."

Loki nodded and shut his eyes, his breathing slowing and becoming even not long afterwards, and Thor stayed in his chair, falling asleep himself shortly.

* * *

Loki had a nightmare two nights later, while he was still confined in the medical area on Bruce's orders. He didn't scream or shout, but whimpered loudly, fear spread over his face even in sleep. He had had nightmares many nights when Thor had stayed with him for days at a time while they had been waiting for Odin to decide his fate, and they had seemed to have been starting to lessen under his and Frigga's love and care, but obviously they were back.

Thor woke immediately, and gently shook Loki awake, speaking his name firmly, but Loki slapped him away, still on the unclear border between the waking world and the world of dreams. Thor shook him more roughly, until Loki's eyes opened all the way and he was fully awake.

"Thor?" He rasped, a touch of confusion in his eyes.

"It's all right brother. It was just a dream."

Loki breathed deeply, trying to calm himself, but he couldn't help but continue trembling.

"What did you dream of?" Thor asked quietly, standing beside Loki and rubbing his shoulder.

Loki took another deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. "It was nothing."

"It was not nothing. You are still shaking like a leaf in the wind." Thor insisted.

"…Weakness."

"Loki, I am your brother! I would not judge you for the workings of your mind. You have been through so much. None of your reactions to previous events is weakness."

Loki turned his head away.

Thor sighed, sinking back down into his chair, pulling his hand away from Loki's shoulder and believing the conversation over.

"…They had me." Loki said after a long pause, making Thor look up. "That was the first part, and then I was in that cell again, except I was not alone. Laufey was there. Just there, staring at me. …His expression… It terrified me."

Thor took a moment to process what Loki had just told him.

"I never told you." Loki took the silence to speak, but he lost the will to give any more information about the dream. "You know that Laufey was my father, but I… am a bastard child, unwanted, and not even a real prince of-"

"Do not dare say the word 'monsters'." Thor ordered almost harshly, completely ignoring the "bastard child" part of Loki's sentence.

Loki bit his lip.

"Laufey was not your father. No real father would leave his child to die, legitimate or otherwise. He is nothing in your life." Thor said, reaching back over to take Loki's hand. "As for the Chitauri, they will never touch you again. They will never even be near you again. You have nothing to be frightened of."

"I am _not_-" Thor's expression of sympathetic disbelief made Loki's harsh reply die off abruptly. "…Fine, yes, I was afraid."

"I saw that, but in my determination to protect this world from you, I did not think on it. I should have."

"It means nothing now."

"Maybe not." Thor replied gently. "We are here now, together and safe. That is what matters."

Loki sighed again. "Part of me hates that you're so good at that."

"So good at what?"

"Making me feel as though nothing can happen, as though I really am safe." Loki grumbled, shooting Thor an irritated look.

Thor actually laughed. "Years of practice." He stood so he could lean over and gently kiss Loki's forehead. "And supported by the fact that it is true." Thor stayed standing, holding Loki's hand, until he drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Loki continued to have nightmares for the next few days, and Thor could not understand why they had come back to haunt his brother. They were almost always the same, with the Chitauri and Laufey. The night before Bruce decided he had healed well enough to leave the infirmary, Loki seemed to sleep peacefully.

Tony gave Thor and Loki a floor entirely to themselves, away from the rest of The Avengers. Thor had asked for this, since he was unsure if having Loki nearby his friends was a good idea at this time. There had been some debate about if Loki should even be able to lock the door to his room, but in the end it was decided he could, but two people had override codes to get inside when the door was locked, Tony himself, and Thor. Loki didn't protest these accommodations.

But then he never came out of his room, not once after he slipped inside for the first time. Thor didn't want to intrude on his brother at first, so he left him alone, thinking he merely needed time to get used to his new living arrangements. Thor would leave food outside the door and then come back to find it partially eaten, so he was relieved Loki at least was not starving.

This continued for five days, and then Thor had finally had enough. At night, when everyone else in the tower was asleep, he went to Loki's room, put in the code to override the lock and stepped inside.

Loki jumped up from the bed when Thor entered. "Thor, what are you doing here?"

Thor was honestly surprised that Loki was not angry with him for simply walking inside, but said nothing on that matter. "You have been locked in here five days brother. I came to see what is wrong."

"Nothing is wrong. I merely need some time to get used to all of this."

"That is what I thought, but you would not need this much time to adjust." Thor replied, folding his arms.

"It is quite a leap from where I was just over a week ago."

"Loki, you should realize you are not going to fool me."

Loki frowned. "You never used to be able to read me like that. Why can you now?"

"My time on Midgard has made me much more skilled at telling the difference between what people say, and what they are thinking."

"I do not wish to leave this room, that is all. Have I not the freedom to make that choice?" Loki growled, clearly unhappy that he could not fool Thor. "I have no wish to see you, or those humans."

"Why not?" Thor asked.

"The very sight of those friends of yours makes me remember how loathed I am and what horrible, unforgivable things I have done. The man whose friend I killed, the man whose mind I alerted for my purposes, the woman I threatened with utter brutality, the pitiful glances of the soldier, the sympathetic ones of the scientist."

A realization hit Thor. "You still believe yourself to be a monster."

Loki snorted. "You're the one who keeps insisting that I'm not a monster."

"And my words have meant nothing to you."

"You are just one person Thor, blinded by centuries worth of memories and love for me. You are biased. The people here are not. Their judgment is not clouded, and they will continually remind me of the facts." Loki's voice carried no hint of emotion, no bitterness, no hatred, no sorrow, nothing. "I know what I am."

"You obviously do not." Thor replied, putting a hand on Loki's arm. "You are my brother."

"And what more than that? Is that all I am, 'Thor's brother'?"

"That is for you to discover and decide Loki, but I assure you, monster is not included in anything you are. " Thor answered, pulling Loki to him.

Loki did not struggle.

"I saw the terror in your eyes when we fought on the top of this tower, the pain when I told you to come home, the heart break when the All-Father disowned you. No monster would feel such things. No monster would regret such things." Thor murmured softly, one of his hands stroking Loki's head.

Loki was completely still, his face hidden from Thor's view, before his arms wrapped around Thor, his hands making fists to grasp Thor's cape tightly and the sobs started. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You have nothing to ask forgiveness for."

"…Brother?" Loki whispered through his shaking sobs.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"And I you." Thor replied, kissing the crown of Loki's head.

Thor stayed with him again that night, the two of them curled on the bed like they had not done since they were very young, and in the morning, Loki ventured out into the rest of the tower with Thor. The nightmares continued a while longer, but they lessened in severity with Thor's comforts and Laufey no longer being present in them, and that night was the last Loki thought of himself as a monster.

**End Chapter**

A/N: For any who may not know, there was a scene originally in the Thor script where Laufey finds out Loki is the son he abandoned, and says something along the lines of "the bastard child survived". So Loki wasn't even an actual price of the Frost Giants. That would add to his strife, I would think.


	3. First to Forgive: Bruce

A/N: Sorry for the wait, I've been busy, what with my 22nd birthday, Thanksgiving, and school projects to do.

For the medical attention bit of this chapter, I only know basic first aid, so I hope I didn't really get anything wrong.

**Disclaimer:** I do now own The Avengers.

**The First to Forgive: Bruce**

Loki didn't say a single word on the way to the infirmary; he simply let Bruce lead him and Thor along until they reached the small, sterile smelling room. He let Thor gently push him down onto one of the beds, and let Thor leave his hand on his shoulder while Bruce busied himself preparing the items he needed to tend to Loki's injuries.

When Bruce had finished everything, he came to Loki's bedside and placed everything he needed on a table. "Could you lift his shirt?" Bruce asked Thor.

Thor nodded and did so, while Loki just frowned.

Bruce picked up a cloth he had soaked with disinfectant, and gave Loki was he hoped was a comforting look. "I'm going to clean the wounds. It's going to sting, okay?"

Loki sighed and nodded.

Bruce then, as gently as possible, cleaned the infected gashes, and was exceedingly thankful that Loki merely hissed at the horrible stinging he was probably feeling, and didn't attempt to sit up or push Bruce away, as Bruce had half been expecting him to do.

Thor helped hold Loki up into a sitting position while Bruce bandaged Loki's torso, making the strips as loose as he possibly could and still have them do their job, and then the thunder god once again placed his hand on Loki's shoulder as Bruce hooked the trickster up to an IV, and gave him injections of antibiotics and painkillers.

"You should get some sleep, I'll be back in the morning to check on you." Bruce told the brothers after putting all the medical supplies away.

"Thank you." Thor replied, while Loki gave the slightest jerk of his head that may have been a nod, but it was so small that Bruce may have imagined it.

Bruce left the infirmary, turning the lights out, and heading for his room, but was not able to simply make it there to sleep, as he'd wanted.

"_Doctor Banner, Mr. Stark requests your presence in the main conference room."_

"Tell him I'm going to bed, we can talk in the morning." Bruce told the A.I. groggily.

"_He is very insistent. I'm afraid he says that he has locked the codes to your room, and will not release them until you have fulfilled his request."_ JARVIS replied, sounding almost apologetic.

Bruce sighed, and rubbed his face. "Fine, fine, tell him I'm coming." He walked to the main conference room, where he found all the others still present, and wearing unreadable expressions, except for Clint, who was arguing with Tony.

"Don't give me that 'we owe Thor' shit! It's not a good enough reason to take in a murderous psychopath!" Clint yelled, obviously furious.

"That's the only reason you're going to get." Tony said firmly.

"As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, the safety of any and all civilians is my first and foremost duty, and keeping that nutcase here is a hazard to everybody!"

"Fury said he could stay. I'll be monitoring him the whole time; he won't be able to make a move without me knowing about it. I already told JARVIS to track him, or didn't you hear me?"

"Are you forgetting what he did? People are dead! Coulson is dead!"

"Of course I remember-"

"Look, this isn't helping!" Steve interrupted, louder than usual to make himself heard. "We've all got our objections, but I agree that it's Tony's decision."

"It isn't. I can't believe Director Fury allowed this. I'm going to call him in the morning and ask him about it." Natasha said, seeming her usual cool self, but her fists were clenched tightly on the table.

"Yeah, do that would you?" Clint snapped.

"Clint, calm down, we'll have this settled in the morning. Why don't we all get some-" Bruce started to plead.

"We settle this _now_." The archer demanded. "What _are_ everybody's views on this? Why is nobody else objecting?"

"I've seen the effects of torture, and it doesn't look all that overly terrible at first glance, Loki's basically a god. Imagine what kind of things must have been done to him to give him those injuries." Steve answered first, a frown forming on his face.

"Are you defending him?"

"I'm just saying he's been through a lot and we should show him some mercy."

"Bruce, how is he?" Tony interrupted the argument between Clint and Steve.

"Fairly bad. Those are some really deep wounds and some of them are badly infected. It's going to take a while for him to get to the point where I'll allow him out of the medical bay. He's handling it pretty well, or hiding it." Bruce answered.

"Good, fine, we'll keep the medical bay locked from the outside." Tony said, giving Clint a long glance.

"Thor won't let him out of his sight either, I'm sure of that." Bruce added, folding his arms. "He's not going to cause trouble, not for a while."

"The second he does, he's out of here." Tony said. "And another thing, I never said how long he could stay here."

Bruce's mouth dropped open, and he noticed Steve's eyes widen slightly. "Tony, you can't seriously kick him out while he's-"

"As long as he behaves himself, he can stay while he's healing up. After that, it's my call, anytime." Now there was a hint of annoyance and anger creeping into Tony's voice. "Clint, you don't like it, you can leave."

The archer said nothing.

"Okay, now, I'm off to bed, you all can do whatever you want." Tony stated, leaving the room quickly.

Bruce gave everyone in the room a sweeping gaze, before going to his own room, but finding himself unable to sleep much because his mind kept going over their current problem. How long would Loki stay in the tower? How long before Fury ended up intervening? Could Thor really keep Loki under control? And, did Loki deserve mercy? Did Loki deserve forgiveness?

* * *

Bruce went back to the medical bay in the morning as he'd promised, and found Thor sitting in a chair beside a sleeping Loki. "How is he? Did he make it through the night okay?"

Thor shook his head. "Almost as soon as you left, he revealed himself to be in pain."

"Why didn't you call me?" Bruce asked.

"I did not think it would be a good idea. Loki is afraid of showing weakness in front of all of you, I believe he thinks the others will take advantage of it." Thor answered.

Bruce nodded in understanding. Better not to provoke Loki's fears, which were not entirely unreasonable. "I gave him the highest dose of painkillers that was safe for a human, but I guess it might work differently for you guys. I'll increase the dose, but I'll have to do it slowly and carefully to make sure I don't give him too much."

"I would ask that you not tell him. He would be furious if he knew that I told you about it." Thor requested.

Bruce agreed, moving to the cupboards to gather supplies. "I'll need to change his bandages, but I'll wait until he's awake. We shouldn't wake him, he needs the rest."

"How are the others reacting to Loki's presence?"

"Clint was the only one who openly objected. The others disapprove, but I think they're accepting of it. Tony won't give us a straight answer as to why he's allowed this." Bruce paused, then turned to look at Thor. "Tony said that he never said how long Loki could stay. He said he'll allow it until Loki's healed, but after that…"

"He will turn us out anytime he wishes. It is his tower, I understand." Thor replied, looking down at Loki's deceptively peaceful face.

"Us?"

"I will go with Loki. I could not allow him to be cast out and not be there with him."

Bruce gave a flicker of a smile. "He's lucky to have you."

"Maybe so, but none of this would have happened if I had been less foolish."

Bruce raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Before all this happened, I made a foolish choice, and was banished to earth. During that time, Loki needed me, and I was not there. It may relate all back to the All-Father's unwise choice to make me king, but it was my decision that lead to all this happening." Thor's explanation was vague, and Bruce could tell there was something he was leaving out, but Bruce didn't ask about it.

"But you're here for him now. That's what's important right now." Bruce replied.

Thor looked back at Loki. "Perhaps so."

Loki stirred, turning his head towards Thor, before opening his eyes.

"Good morning brother." Thor said, putting a gentle smile on his face.

Loki's eyes scanned the room, before looking back at his brother. "We're in that tower."

"Yes, do you remember?"

Loki nodded. "Sleep confuses the thoughts."

"Loki, Banner is here to change your bandages and inspect your wounds. Will you let him?" Thor asked.

Loki glanced at Bruce before nodding.

Bruce came to the bedside, having Thor pull up Loki's tunic again, and unwrapping the bandages to reveal the scars and gashes again. The infections were far less severe already, but not completely gone, but they probably would be in about a week at this rate, Bruce guessed. "This is going to sting again." Bruce told the trickster, wetting a cloth with antiseptic.

When Loki said nothing, Bruce again, still as gentle as he could be, cleaned out the gashes, with Loki again giving slight hisses, and obediently sitting up so Bruce could wrap new bandages around his torso.

After finishing that task, Bruce put those supplies away, and came back with the painkiller, increasing the dosage, but not by too much, and giving Loki the injection.

"That's it for today. Call me if you need anything." Bruce gave the friendliest smile he could manage before leaving the room, pausing for a moment outside before he headed towards the lab where Tony was most likely working, to help him with what they had been working on yesterday when they had been interrupted.

* * *

Bruce went back to the infirmary every morning to tend to Loki. He seemed to have finally found the right dosage of painkillers, and Loki's wounds were healing fast. Usually when Bruce came, Loki was still asleep, so he and Thor could discuss the situation.

"He has been having nightmares." Thor told Bruce on the four day of Loki's stay.

"It might be the increased painkillers. Should I back off on the dose?"

Thor thought a moment and then shook his head. "No, being able to sleep, even with bad dreams, is better than lying awake due to the pain. He usually sleeps peacefully after some assurance from me."

"I'd say he'll be ready for leave in a few more days. I'll talk to Tony about getting him a proper room."

"Is that wise? To have Loki so near the others?" Thor asked.

"Tony's given us each our own floors in the tower. I'm sure he'll do the same for you, and Loki could stay there. Would you like to come with me and talk to him after I'm done here for today?"

"No, I dare not leave Loki's side."

"No one is going to hurt him Thor."

"I am admittedly worried about Barton. He is a good man, and I consider him a friend, but he was hurt greatly by all of this, and I worry that he may seek out revenge." Thor answered.

Bruce didn't answer, although he too had had the same thoughts about Clint. He didn't believe Clint would hurt anyone innocent and nonthreatening, but that was the problem, Clint didn't think Loki was innocent and that he was a threat. He left after performing his daily check up on Loki, and went back to the lab, where he and Tony were almost finished with the new suit.

""Hey, Bruce, perfect timing, could you get me that wrench from over there?" Tony said, not looking up from his workstation where he was tinkering with a new helmet.

Bruce brought the wrench over, and sat down on a stool across from Tony. "Loki's almost healed."

"Good."

"I think he'll be ready to leave the infirmary this weekend. I think he should be given a proper room."

"Medical bay not comfortable enough for him?"

"It'd probably be better for him to get out of that room, I think it reminds him of everything that happened to him. Thor says he's been having nightmares about his captivity."

"That room is one of the most secure in the tower."

"Isn't there another room you can make secure? You've got more bedrooms in this place than will ever be used, can't Loki have one of those?"

"You want him to just be able to walk around the tower?"

"I didn't say that. You're monitoring him, right? And Thor isn't going to let him out of his sight. He can stay on Thor's floor. You did give him a floor, right?"

Tony finally stopped what he was doing and looked across the table at Bruce. "Yeah, I did."

"Then what's the problem? I doubt Loki will want to be around us much anyway, he'll probably stay in his room. But it's still better than keeping him locked up in a small room that frankly doesn't look very inviting."

Tony was silent for a moment, before beginning to drum his fingers on the table. "All right. I'll talk to Thor later and get everything straightened out. Now, would you help me with this thing? I want to get it done by Sunday."

"Sure."

* * *

Bruce allowed Loki to leave the medical bay exactly a week after his arrival, but after that, he disappeared for five days, and Bruce wondered if Loki would ever leave his room at all. No one said anything on the matter, but Bruce, to his own surprise, began to almost worry about the trickster.

He was admittedly rather surprised when Thor and Loki came into the lounge he had been reading the newspaper in one morning, Loki looking more confident than Bruce had seen him in his entire time at the tower. "Thor, Loki." He greeted.

"Banner, I wonder if you might show us where the library is. I thought Loki would like to know where it is." Thor said, seeming strangely happy.

"Uh, sure, no problem." Bruce got up and the two gods followed him out of the room. He noticed that while Loki wasn't speaking, there was very little of the air of fear that had been around him when he had first arrived.

They arrived at the library, which wasn't very large, but was packed with books, some of them with a thin layer of dust covering them, and Loki went immediately to scanning the titles.

"Tony says he doesn't come here much. The only reason he had a library put in was because Pepper wanted one." Bruce said to explain the dust.

"Pepper?" Thor asked.

"Oh, right, I guess you haven't met her. She works for Tony, and is his girlfriend. She's very nice, really the only person who could ever possibly match Tony." Bruce answered. "So do you see anything you like Loki?" Bruce couldn't help but feel surprised to see that the dark haired god already had three books cradled to his chest, and was still looking for more.

"_Mr. Odinson, Mr. Stark is requesting your presence in the main conference room."_ JARVIS's voice sounded.

Thor paused before answering, looking at Loki. "Will you be all right here brother?"

Loki stopped looking over the books, and turned to Thor. "Yes, I'll be fine brother." He assured, although Bruce caught a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Thor nodded. "I will return when my business with Stark is concluded. I will not be long." He gave a final small smile and left the room.

Bruce thought about leaving, but ultimately decided to stay, the thought of someone coming and finding Loki with the intent to hurt him, namely Clint. Thor would probably prefer that Loki not be left alone, and Bruce wondered if Thor had known he would stay without being asked.

Loki, with five books in his arms, went to a chair, set the books down beside it, picked up the first one, and began readying.

Bruce settled into a chair himself, and a silence fell.

"You don't have to do this." Loki said, not looking up for his book right as Bruce had begun to doze off.

"What?"

"Watch over me. I'm perfectly capable of defending myself if need be."

Bruce stiffened, but he knew he shouldn't have been surprised that Loki knew exactly why he was still there. "I'd rather stay. I know you can take care of yourself, but I'd rather we didn't have any skirmishes."

"Why have you been doing this? Being kind to me?" Loki asked, finally looking up from his book to meet Bruce's gaze.

"Because…" Bruce took a breath. "Because I know what's it's like to be forced to do something horrible."

"Your turning into the creature is entirely different. You are not aware of what you are doing, I was fully aware of my actions." Loki scoffed.

"Maybe so, but I still have the guilt afterwards, I still blame myself. I have no doubt you're feeling massive amounts of guilt right now."

"And do I not deserve that?"

"No, I don't believe you do. It was your only escape. Nobody deserves to suffer forever."

Loki stared at Bruce for a long half of a minute before he spoke again. "You are wrong to trust me."

"I didn't say I trust you. What I'm saying is I forgive you."

The book fell from Loki's hands. "_What?_"

"I forgive you." Bruce repeated.

"You are a fool. I didn't ask for your forgiveness."

Bruce shrugged. "I probably am."

There was a long pause, but Loki sighed. "I do… regret what happened. Everything that happened."

"Sounds like an apology to me. Or at least as close to an apology that you're going to make at the moment."

Loki was silent again before he shook his head, a disbelieving smile touching his lips. "Barton was right when he told me you were the softest one of this team."

Bruce gave a small laugh. "I've been called worse things."

And that was the beginning of Bruce and Loki's friendly truce.

**End Chapter**

A/N: I'm not sure when I'll have another update on this, since I have finals in less than a week. Not to mention that this is actually turning about to be a little trickier than I thought it would be to write… Hopefully I'll have another chapter for you before Christmas.

I should not have tumblr open while I'm writing…


	4. Second to Forgive: Steve

A/N: I'm trying to have each chapter told from the perspective of the person it's about, but with Steve, I actually found I couldn't come up with much. Steve was the one least affected by everything Loki did, so I had a really hard time with it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Avengers.

**The Second to Forgive: Steve**

When Loki disappeared, it seemed as though everyone wanted to forget he was now living in Stark Tower, even Tony, who had allowed the whole thing.

Bruce was the only one who seemed to care. He gave suggestions to Thor on what food to take to Loki, based on it's nutritional value, and he asked Thor to tell him about Loki, what he was like, some of their adventures from their childhood, and the such.

Steve was one of those who never said anything about Loki, but he found himself listening in on the stories Thor told Bruce, the things he said about his brother, and he couldn't help but begin to feel sympathy for Loki.

Five days passed, and it seemed as though Loki intended to spend the entirety of his stay at the tower in his room. However, Steve was surprised when he saw Bruce and Loki walking down a hallway together on the sixth day, Bruce completely relaxed, and Loki's posture defensive, but not giving away any hint of fright.

"Humans have such strange, however interesting, legends. How do you come up with such ideas?" Loki said.

"Just remember that those stories you were reading were Greek myths, from thousands of years ago." Bruce replied lightly.

"Nonetheless, you are still just as… naïve a race as you were in those stories." Loki said, eyes shifting to the side, as he seemed to be carefully looking for the right word, and trying not to sound too insulting.

Bruce laughed. "Oh, I won't disagree. The human race has a long way to go."

The look Loki gave Bruce was filled with genuine surprise. Clearly he had not expected the scientist to agree with him.

"Hi Steve." Bruce greeted as he and Loki were passing, and he stopped, Loki stopping beside him, but taking a half step back from Steve.

"Uh, hi." Steve gave Loki the least pitying and confused look he could manage. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes." Came the simple answer.

Steve was desperately looking for things to say, something to try and put Loki at ease, when he noticed the two books Loki was clutching at his side. "Where did those come from?"

"The library." Bruce answered.

"We have a library?"

Bruce laughed. "Pepper's idea. I think Loki's the first person who's used it besides me." Bruce looked at Loki. "You sure you don't want to wait for Thor in the library?"

"I spent half a year locked up in a small room under Asgard, I'd rather take advantage of as much freedom as I can get." Loki replied.

"Well, I'm afraid you're probably not going to be allowed access to any areas you would find interesting, like the labs." Bruce said, scratching his head, with an apologetic tone in his voice.

"…That's understandable." Loki responded, looking at his feet.

"Brother!"

All three men turned to see Thor striding down the hallway.

"I'll be joining my brother now. Thank you for your… assistance, Doctor Banner." Loki said hurriedly, and almost dashed towards Thor, making him turn in the opposite direction from Steve and Bruce and they walked away.

Both Steve and Bruce were confused as to Loki's sudden desire to be with Thor, until Clint passed them, his eyes lingering harshly on Loki's back. He said nothing as he passed Bruce and Steve, and continued on his way, disappearing into one of the rooms off the hall.

Steve glanced at Bruce. "Is he really okay?"

"He's having some trouble, understandably. Thor said he's been having nightmares, and he's scared of all of us. He doesn't want to be here, but he doesn't have anywhere else to go."

"He didn't seem so afraid of you." Steve observed.

Bruce put his hands in his pockets. "We, ah, came to an understanding. I understand him, a lot more than I'd like to, and I think the same goes for him."

Steve sighed and nodded, knowing exactly why the two would have some kind of understanding of each other. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"Yeah, eventually. He's already made tremendous progress from Thor just being here. The guy I talked to in the library was different than the guy who showed up out of nowhere about two weeks ago." Bruce gave Steve a serious look. "How do you feel about him being here?"

Steve paused a moment. "He needs to be here. You said it yourself, he's got nowhere else to go." He paused again. "And he deserves to be treated like a person."

* * *

"Clint and I have been called in for a mission. We'll be gone for a while, not sure how long. Keep an eye on Loki, don't let him do anything, and alert S.H.I.E.L.D. if something happens."

They were all in the top floor lounge, except for Thor, who was with Loki, as he almost always was. Tony looked from where he and Bruce were going through data on some of his transparent data screens, and Steve paced around.

"In fact, I suggest you put him back in that room of his and don't let him out." Clint grumbled, standing near the elevator.

"Why? He hasn't been doing anything except visiting the library." Bruce replied, looking at the archer over the top of his glasses.

Clint rolled his eyes. "It's only a matter of time."

"I'm not locking him up. That'll only piss of Thor." Tony stated impassively.

"Do what you want, provided you don't endanger anyone." Natasha cut in. "I would only recommend he not leave Stark tower."

"Christ." Clint snarled. "I can't believe this. Fury's calling us in when we should be here watching him."

"We can handle it." Steve replied, looking over at the spot on the floor where there had once been a Loki shaped hole. Now, thankfully, it had finally been fixed.

"He shouldn't even be here." Clint pressed.

"Clint, you said Director Fury's reasons where understandable. We do owe Thor, and we can't afford to have him take Loki and disappear if we do try to take Loki in custody." Natasha gave Clint a piercing stare. "This way we have some control over the situation."

"I lied. I couldn't tell Fury what I really thought. You don't argue with him." Clint answered, leaning against the wall and folding his arms.

"Right, well, see you guys." Bruce said, waving slightly, clearly none to happy with Clint, but not seeming threatening.

"Nothing is going to happen. Trust me." Steve promised, flashing the two agents a smile.

Natasha actually allowed one corner of her mouth to perk upwards. "I'll take a promise from Captain America. Take care of yourselves."

Clint said nothing.

The two stepped into the elevator and disappeared from view.

"As much as I like those two, I'm always glad to have S.H.I.E.L.D. off my ass." Tony remarked, going back to whatever he research he had open.

"As much as it's understandable, Clint's hatred isn't going to help things at all. Loki's terrified of him. More than any of us, I think." Bruce stated. "More than he was of me even."

Tony looked away from the screen, with a raised eyebrow. "Was?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, we've got kind of a truce going. I've been with him in library when Thor isn't there. He's still cautious and defensive around me, but I don't think he's scared of me anymore."

"That's good." Steve said quickly, not sure if he wanted to know what Tony was going to say as the billionaire opened his mouth. "It'll be good for him to have a friend here."

"I'm hardly his friend, that'll take a while. More like an ally."

"But it will be good for him to have someone other than just Thor to help him." Steve said, sinking into an armchair towards the back of the room.

"That's for sure."

"Okay, so we know Loki's not a threat, but they don't. How're we going to change that?" Tony asked.

Steve's face twisted in confusion. "You want to help him? I thought you were just letting him stay here because of our debt to Thor."

Tony stared at Steve, looking like he was fighting with himself about something. "I was tortured too, you know. In Afghanistan. I'm sure it wasn't anything near like what he's been through. I'm not forgiving him, not saying it's an excuse, just that I know the feeling of being willing to do anything to get the pain to stop." Tony frowned. "Thor's got Loki under control. Loki's too frightened to try anything."

"And he's still weak. His injuries haven't completely healed yet." Bruce added.

"The point is he's not going to do anything. It's too big of a risk for him. We need to at least convince Natasha of that." Tony finished.

"I actually don't think that'll be _too_ hard. She seemed sincere when she said she trusts Steve's word." Bruce replied, taking off his glasses and setting them down since there was now a long lull in the work.

"It's Clint that's the problem." Steve voiced the so far unspoken truth.

"I think we should be ready for the possibility that he might try to kill Loki." Bruce stated with a regretful sigh.

Tony smirked. "Got that covered. I've got JARVIS monitoring Clint's movements. If Clint gets within ten feet of Loki, JARVIS will alert me in a nanosecond. Besides, Thor is with him all the time anyway. And I guess when Thor isn't with him, Bruce is. Nothing to worry about."

Steve wasn't convinced, and from the glance Bruce gave him, neither was he.

* * *

"Steve!"

Steve stopped in the hallway leading to his room, and turned to see Bruce jogging toward him, trying to catch him before he turned in for the night. "Doctor Banner?"

"Bruce, Steve. I told you to call me Bruce." Bruce reminded him, coming to a stop in front of him.

"Sorry, having a hard time getting used to that." Steve replied. "What is it?"

"I think you should talk to Loki."

Steve's widened slightly. "I tried, remember? In the hallway the other day. He didn't want to talk to me then, why would that change?"

"He might've stayed if Thor and Clint hadn't shown up."

"…He doesn't trust me, how can I possibly get through to him?" Steve asked, considering Bruce's suggestion.

"He trusts me, so I think if I'm there it'll be okay." Bruce answered, fiddling with his watch, probably a result of nerves because he thought Steve would say no. "Loki needs more friends, or at least allies. He needs to know that he's worthy of forgiveness and compassion."

"How do we know he is?" Steve asked thoughtfully.

Bruce sighed, shaking his head slightly. "I've talked to him quite a bit the last few days. He regrets everything that's happened. _Really_ regrets what's happened. He doesn't want us to know because he's afraid we'll take advantage of it."

"Has he told you as much?"

"He did tell me he has regrets. That was his way of apologizing. I can tell it's all bothering him, and Thor told me Loki's afraid of appearing weak in front of us." Bruce said.

Steve studied Bruce for a minute, thinking over his words. Steve had learned that Bruce was good at reading people, and, most importantly, he and Loki were so terribly similar in many ways. Bruce would probably know exactly what Loki was thinking and feeling at the moment. "All right."

* * *

Steve entered the library the next day, finding Bruce and Loki both quietly reading in armchairs, across the room from each other, Bruce obviously respecting Loki's space.

Thor wasn't there, he had apparently gotten a call from a Jane Foster, who Steve figured Thor must be romantically involved with, from the way he had reacted to Tony's passive remark about the call. He was surprised that Loki trusted Bruce to be alone in a room with him. It seemed to Steve like Loki had come to trust Bruce more than Bruce apparently thought.

Steve went to look for the history books, genuinely interested in learning what had transpired in the world during his seventy year sleep, found one on recent American history, took it, and went to an chair nearby Bruce to sit and began to read.

After a minute of struggling to think of something to say, Steve looked up. "So Loki-"

"I've been set up, I see." Loki interrupted.

"I'm sorry?"

"Doctor Banner asked you to try to talk to me, didn't he?" Loki said, looking up and closing his book.

Steve and Bruce looked at each other.

"Oh, come on, it wasn't that hard to figure out." Loki drawled.

"Well, I'd like to try to talk to you." Steve said.

"About what? What is there for you to say to me?"

"You seem happy enough to talk to Bruce." Steve replied, setting his own book aside.

"Doctor Banner is… different. I would rather not make any of the rest of you uncomfortable by interacting with you when you don't wish to interact with me." Loki's tone was dismissive and irritated.

"Maybe I actually do want to interact with you."

"I don't want your pity, Captain." Loki snapped.

"Is that why you don't want me to talk to you? Why you left so quickly in the hall the other day? Because you think I pity you?" Steve questioned.

Loki snorted, and rolled his eyes. "I left because I didn't want to be anywhere near Barton."

"Loki, pity isn't always a negative thing. All it means is that I feel bad about what you've been through. It doesn't mean I look down on you, or think you're inferior." Something clicked in Steve's head, something so obvious, he should have seen it before. "That's it, isn't it? You think we all look down on you."

Bruce raised both eyebrows and looked between Steve and Loki.

Loki narrowed his eyes, and shifted slightly in his seat. "Why shouldn't you? Everyone else always has."

"What about Thor?" Bruce asked.

Loki huffed. "Everyone knows Thor is the exception to almost everything regarding how people usually treat me. He's a great over-affectionate oaf." There was the tiniest hint of affection in Loki's voice at that last statement, so tiny that Steve might've missed it if he hadn't been putting all his effort into trying to read Loki's words and actions.

"From what Thor's told us about you, and the way he treats you, you deserve sympathy. None of us look down on you Loki. None of us could have gone through what you went through and done things differently." When Loki said nothing, Steve tried something else. "Do you know about what I was like before I became a hero?"

"Barton told me a bit."

"I bet he didn't tell you that people looked down on me, teased me, tore me down. All I wanted to do was help; prove that I could do my part to, well, save the world. I was given the ability to do that by people who believed in me. It sounds like you never had that."

"…I had my mother, and Thor."

"It wasn't enough, was it?"

"No."

"Well, it seems like Bruce believes in you. Maybe, if you let me get to know you, I can too." Steve offered hopefully.

Loki paused, before he gave a curt nod. "You can try if you wish."

Steve smiled. "Would you tell me about Asgard?"

Loki chewed his lip a moment before replying. "It's… beautiful."

And that was the beginning of Steve's belief in Loki.

**End Chapter**

A/N: HA. I managed it!

I hope the thing that I came up with as to what Steve could relate to Loki about was believable. I pretty much came up with it out of nowhere.


	5. Third to Forgive: Pepper

A/N: I said I'd do Pepper, but did anyone expect me to give have a whole chapter for her? I think she deserves one, because she's so awesome.

I would like to say that although I keep mentioning in this story that Hawkeye might do something reckless and harmful to Loki, I do really like Hawkeye and I don't think there would be evil intentions behind anything he might do.

Unrelated to this, but I saw The Hobbit. Aside from the fact that I think it could have been about an hour shorter, it was fantastic. Absolutely loved it! The "Riddles in the Dark" scene was just perfect.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Avengers.

**The Third to Forgive: Pepper**

Pepper had seen Loki on her rare visits to the tower, between being out on business trips or other things that Tony should have been doing, but, as always, ended up only getting done if she took them on herself. She'd never spoken to Loki, only seeing him in passing, noticing that he was usually with Thor, Bruce, or recently, Steve.

However, the thing that surprised her most was the last time she had been to the tower and seen him walking around with Bruce, was that he had been _smiling_. A small, but genuine smile. Pepper was certain that it must have been rare for him to smile considering everything he'd been through (Tony had told her about his capture by the Chitauri and imprisonment by his own father).

Now there was a lull in the amount of traveling she had to do, and she found any work she had to do could easily be done all in one location, so she decided to move into Stark Tower.

Tony protested to the idea.

"Pepper, we've got a damaged demi god living in our tower. I don't think this is a good idea right now."

"I thought you told me that he isn't dangerous." Pepper replied, taking some of her clothes out of her suitcase and putting them neatly into ones the dressers of the room she had chosen to occupy.

"He isn't, but-"

"Then what's the problem? I've got some time off, and I'll spend it where I like." Pepper stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Things are crazy here right now Pep."

"I'm pretty used to crazy by now Tony."

"On the off chance something _did_ happen-"

Pepper stopped and looked directly at Tony. "Look, Tony, I understand you being nervous about this, but I _want_ to stay here. I trust that you can all keep things under control. From what Bruce told me, Loki's rather confused and a bit frightened right now, and that he's certain he won't hurt anyone."

Tony's eyes narrowed. "Bruce. He had something to do with you coming here."

Pepper frowned, thinking she probably shouldn't have mentioned Bruce. "He mentioned S.H.I.E.L.D. has been giving you a hard time about Loki, and that my being here might prove that he isn't dangerous."

"I'm cutting off his access to all the labs for a month." Tony growled.

Pepper sighed and crossed the room to stand in front of Tony, taking his hands. "I'm touched that you're worried about me, but there's no cause for concern. I'll keep my distance, in fact, I'll probably be in my office most of the time, doing _your_ work."

"Fury isn't going to like this. He's already pissed that I'm keeping a wanted alien ex-prince in my tower, and that there's nothing he can do but accept it." Tony grumbled, ignoring Pepper's work comment.

"I thought you loved making Fury's life… interesting." Pepper replied, one side of her mouth twitching upward.

Tony's eyes lit up and he grinned evilly. "I have had a very bad influence on you."

Pepper smiled. "So I'll take that as a 'yes Pepper, you can stay'."

"Yes _please_ Pepper, you can stay." Tony leaned forward and kissed her, bringing one of his hands to cup her face. "I do have one condition." He said when he pulled away slightly for air.

"Oh? What's that?" Pepper asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You stay in my room."

"I can live with that."

"Great, get all packed up and move in. I left Bruce in the tech lab, and I still don't entirely trust him around my gear." Tony said, giving Pepper another kiss, and then heading out of the room.

Pepper went back to the dresser, and began to put her things back into her suitcase when her cell phone started ringing from its place on the bed. She went immediately to get it, but paused when she saw it was an unknown number. After a moment, she decided to answer it. "Hello? Pepper Potts speaking."

"…_Hey… Pepper…"_

Pepper's heart felt like it stopped and then sped up as her breath caught in her throat.

The voice was weak, sounding tired, breathless, and slightly pained, but there was no mistaking whose voice it was.

"…Phil?"

* * *

Pepper raced towards the main lab, glad she'd decided to wear sneakers today instead of heels, hoping Tony would still be there. Upon reaching the lab, punching in the security code, and basically leaping through the door, she was relieved to find that Tony was indeed still there, with Bruce as well.

Upon her bursting into the room, Tony actually jumped, while Bruce remained completely absorbed in his work (his self control continually impressed Pepper). "Jesus Pepper, where's the fire?"

"Phil's alive. He just called my cell phone. Tony, he's alive!" Pepper exclaimed, panting slightly as she sank onto one of the many stools placed in the room.

Tony's face shifted into an expression of complete shock, and Bruce's head snapped towards Pepper, surprise written all over his own face.

"Pep… That's impossible." Tony replied. "He got stabbed through the chest. He died."

Pepper shook her head frantically. "He's _alive_. Think about it Tony, we never heard about any funeral, and none of us ever saw the body. Would I lie about this?"

"I don't think you're lying Pepper, but he can't be alive, but how does someone survive being stabbed through the chest?"

"Fine, I've got proof, I had JARVIS record the call. JARVIS, playback the audio from the call to my cell phone from Agent Coulson." Pepper said.

"_Of course, Miss Potts."_

There was a moment of tense silence before the audio started playing out of the unseen speakers planted in the room.

"_Phil? I- I can't believe it. How can you be…" _Pepper's uncertain sounding recorded voice trailedoff.

"_S.H.I.E.L.D. has some pretty advanced methods… But the doctors… Only just told me this morning that I'm going to live… I wanted to… Tell you."_ Coulson's recorded voice was shaking and faint, but unmistakably his voice.

"_I'm going to patch Tony through on this."_

"_No… I wasn't even supposed to tell you know, but… I thought you should know… I have to go now…"_

"_Wait! No, Phil!"_

There was the momentary sound of a ring tone, and then the recording stopped.

Anger started to mix with the surprise on Tony's face. "So, for almost nine months we've all thought he was dead, and now it turns out he's actually _alive_ and nobody told us about it."

Bruce remained silent, looking at the floor, as if lost in thought.

"I think he wanted to make sure he was going to live before he told us Tony. I mean, can you imagine being told he was alive, and then he ended up not making it? It'd be like loosing him a second time, but possibly even worse." Pepper replied.

Tony paused, and then shifted to take up an authoritative stance. "JARVIS, get me Fury. Now."

"_Right away sir."_

After a few minutes, Fury appeared on the screen in front of Tony and Bruce, and Pepper moved to stand behind the two scientists.

"Stark, what is it now? Is Loki causing trouble?" Fury grumbled, glaring and folding his arms.

"We know Coulson's alive." Tony stated firmly.

Fury's glare turned into an expression of confused innocence. "Stark, Coulson's dead. I saw him die myself."

"Then how come I just got a call from him?" Pepper asked.

Fury's expression changed once again, this time to defeated annoyance. "Damn."

"Why did you keep this from us?" Tony demanded.

"I thought it would be better if you didn't know until we were sure he'd pull through. Hell, I wasn't going to tell you until he had completely recovered. Guess he had other ideas."

"Guess so." Tony snapped.

"How'd you do it?" Bruce asked, speaking for the first time.

Everyone's attention turned to him.

"I beg your pardon, Doctor Banner?" Fury said.

"How'd you bring him back? Why haven't you shared the method of how to do that with all medical facilities?"

"It's an experimental method, and highly risky. It almost didn't work, and wasn't exactly entirely pleasant for Coulson. We thought we would try it on S.H.I.E.L.D. agents first, instead of the general public, and attempt to make it as perfect as possible first." Fury explained. "I assure you he agreed to undergo the procedure long before hand, on the off chance that something happened to him."

Bruce's skin was starting to take a green tint, and Pepper put a hand on his shoulder.

"It sounds logical Bruce. If whatever they did to help Coulson is unpleasant, shouldn't they try to make it as painless as possible before using it on civilians? If the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents undergoing the treatment are almost beyond hope, and they go into it willingly, doesn't it make sense?"

The green tint disappeared from Bruce's skin, and he sighed and nodded. "I'd like to talk with one of your doctors about the subject."

"Of course." Fury replied, and then turned his attention back to Tony. "You can all be mad at me if you want, but I just want you to answer one thing. Is Loki behaving himself?"

"Yes. Extremely well." Bruce answered before Tony could.

"Yeah, he seems to have a truce going with Bruce and Steve." Tony added, still frowning.

"…Well, actually, I think I've finally made it to being his friend." Bruce admitted.

Fury and Tony's mouths fell open. "Friend?" They both said in unison.

"Well, he's not defensive around me anymore. He's okay with me being alone with him, and he has actual conversations with me." Bruce explained. "He spends most of his time in the tower library, in fact, he's there now."

"Well, as long as he's behaving. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a security organization to run." And with that, the screen went black.

"I am so going to get him back for this." Tony growled.

* * *

After moving her stuff into Tony's room, Pepper paced around it, thinking she should probably be doing something, anything, but she found there wasn't really anything she could keep her mind on.

She had thought about going to the library, but Bruce had mentioned Loki was there and-

Pepper froze.

_Loki._ He didn't know Phil was alive.

Bruce had mentioned to her while she was talking to him about moving into Stark Tower that Loki felt a lot of guilt and regret over everything that had happened.

"JARVIS, where is Loki?"

"_Mr. Odinson is in the library."_

"Is he alone?"

"_Yes Miss Potts."_

Pepper hesitated. She'd told Tony she would keep her distance from Loki, but, if Loki felt as guilty as Bruce had said, he should know that Phil wasn't dead. That would be one thing to take off his list of… well, crimes.

But… Tony had almost died because of him. Pepper wasn't sure she could let go of that anger. The whole missile- wait, no, S.H.I.E.L.D. had launched that missile, Loki hadn't been directly responsible for that, and even though he had been indirectly responsible, the torture he'd gone through, and that what he'd done was the only way to make it stop loomed all too much over that. She remembered Tony telling her about undergoing torture, and she was certain he'd left out many details for her sake.

Pepper took a deep breath, and marched out the door, heading straight for the library.

Loki was indeed alone, with a thick book open on his lap, and he looked up instantly upon Pepper entering the room.

"Hi, I'm Pepper." Pepper said, trying to sound confident.

Loki regarded her a moment. "Stark's… what's the word? Girlfriend?"

Pepper nodded. "I just moved in." She cursed herself for sounding nervous, but she couldn't help it.

"I would have thought Stark would have told you to stay away from me."

"He did."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "And yet you sought me out?"

Pepper nodded again.

"I completely understand your fear, but I have no intention of harming you." Loki said smoothly.

"I know that. I… well, I just-"

"As I said, I understand your fear." He got to his feet. "I beg your pardon, I should have stood when you entered the room."

"That's all right."

"So, may I inquire as to why you sought me out?"

"Phil Coulson is alive." Pepper blurted.

Loki's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "What?"

"Phil Coulson is alive. Do you know who-"

"Yes, I know who you're talking about. It will be impossible for me to ever forget. But… he's alive? How could he…?" Loki looked like he was trying very hard to mask his shock, but he wasn't doing a very good job of it.

"All he told me was that S.H.I.E.L.D. has advanced methods." Pepper answered, taking a couple steps forward. "I just thought you should know."

Loki sighed. "That is… a relief."

There was a long silence, but Pepper could feel in tension in the air dissolving.

"Do you spend all your time here?" Pepper asked.

Loki shrugged. "Mostly. I'm not permitted access to any other parts of the tower except here, the hallways, and my brother's floor. There isn't much else to do."

Pepper smiled. "Follow me." She resisted taking his hand to lead him by it, and was glad when he did follow her.

He asked no questions as to where she was taking him, and there was silence, but not an uncomfortable one, until they reached their destination.

Stepping out of the elevator, Loki looked around the room she'd taken him too. "This is…" He trailed off.

It was the room near the top of the tower, where, Pepper remembered, Loki had been defeated by Hulk, but she hoped maybe he could get past that and appreciate the openness of it after being shut up in the tower without seeing the outside for weeks.

He circled the room slowly, as if he were cautious, while Pepper watched him a bit apprehensively. "Well." He finally said. "I see you fixed my addition to this room."

Pepper blinked in surprise before she realized he meant the holes in the floor from when the Hulk had swung him around. She laughed, glad that he was making light of that event. It seemed knowing Phil was alive _had_ had a great effect on him.

"May I go outside?" Loki asked politely, pointing to the door.

"Of course. Would you like me to leave?" Pepper responded.

"No. I would appreciate the company." He admitted slowly.

She followed him out onto the patio area, and he closed his eyes for a moment, as if simply drinking in the feeling of the sun of his face.

"I haven't been outside in almost three months. I never realized how much I enjoy the warmth of the sun."

"You know, you're different than how Tony described you to me." Pepper stated.

He opened his eyes and turned to face her. "Oh?"

"He said you were damaged, closed, and frightened. You're being fairly open with me, and you don't seem frightened."

Loki chewed his bottom lip. "I have been mending, faster than I thought possible, with my brother's care and Doctor Banner and Captain Roger's offers of friendship. As for being frightened, I now see I have nothing to fear here."

"And me?"

"I suppose it's because you don't seem to hold any ill will against me."

Pepper paused. "Well, I did, but well, that went away fairly fast. You see, it seems to me like all you want is someone to remember the good things you've done and not just the bad. I used to feel like that."

Loki looked at her curiously. "What makes you think that?"

"I've talked to Bruce about you. That was his impression."

Loki was expressionless and Pepper was afraid he was going to furious, but then he sighed. "I suppose Doctor Banner is just trying to help."

"I might try to acknowledge things, but I don't know anything about you really, except some Norse myths."

Loki actually smiled. "I could tell you some things, if you like. I'm afraid some of the myths are entirely false or exaggerated."

"I'd like that very much."

* * *

"…We really shouldn't have ventured into the mountains by ourselves, but the idea of facing the dangerous creatures that live there was just too much of an invitation for Thor, and I was idiotic to go with him."

"Maybe, but you saved his life. I'm sure he was thankful."

"…I don't know. He never said anything on the matter afterwards." Loki replied.

Pepper was accompanying Loki back to the library, while listening to his tales of his adventures in Asgard, and other realms. She was honestly highly enjoying them, as well as learning what myths were true, and which ones weren't. This last bit in information surprised her though. "What?"

"He was beginning to get arrogant and reckless at that time. He knew the throne was his, and that made him overconfident. I was beginning to feel jealousy at that time."

"But you still loved him."

"…Yes."

"Brother!"

And, funnily enough, Thor was coming down the hallway towards them. "Loki, I was worried when you were not in the library."

"Lady Potts was just allowing me outside as well as telling me other areas of the tower I could visit." Loki replied pleasantly.

"Please, Loki, call me Pepper."

"If that's what you would like."

"Thor, could I speak to you for a minute?" Pepper asked.

"Certainly."

"I'll be on my way back to the library. Lady Pepper-"

"Just Pepper."

"Pepper has recommended a series of books to me. You said the title was The Lord of the Rings, correct? I haven't read them and I think I would like to." Loki headed off down the hallway, disappearing around a corner.

"You're okay with him being alone?" Pepper asked.

"As long as Barton is not here. I do believe Barton is a good man, but I do not trust him where my brother is concerned." Thor answered. "What was it you wished to speak with me about?"

"I think Loki feels a bit… underappreciated."

Thor looked surprised. "Not a day goes by that I do not tell him that I love him."

Pepper shook her head. "Obviously that helps a lot, but that's not quite what I meant. I mean I think he feels like you don't respect him."

Thor looked confused. "Of course I respect my brother."

"If you could let him know you appreciate his abilities somehow-"

"I cannot do so out of the blue. He would know you spoke to me on the matter and he would get very irritated with both of us."

"Well, the chance comes up to say something, take it. Just subtly." Pepper said. "And he knows you love him, and he loves you too, you know. Very much. I can tell."

Thor gave a broad smile. "I know. Thank you for the advice, I think I will go join him now." He gave a respectful nod of his head and followed the hall leading to the library.

Pepper smiled happily and decided to go to one of the offices to get some work done, when Tony's voice came over the hidden speakers.

"_Pepper, JARVIS told me you just spent the last hour and a half with Loki."_

Pepper groaned and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I did."

"_Would you mind coming to the lab so I can talk to you a minute?"_ Tony's voice sounded stern, but not angry.

"Right away Tony." Pepper replied, beginning to make her way to the lab.

It was time to face the music, she supposed, but it was worth it, because she had helped Loki. And it seemed like she may have sparked a friendship between herself and the god of lies.

Now that was an amusing thought.

**End Chapter**

A/N: I've been fighting with myself ever since the beginning of this story about bringing Coulson in or not. Well, ultimately, I decided I had to, because it's Coulson, and it would make for some very interesting character interactions coming up here (won't say more than that).

I just hope Pepper and Loki were in character. Loki, I love you, but you're so hard to write.

Oh yes, and I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, or a wonderful time of whatever holiday you celebrate. And a Happy New Year!


	6. Fourth to Forgive: Tony

A/N: It seems my choice to bring Coulson in to the picture was greatly appreciated. Coulson lives! And thank you for the tip off angrbodagiantess. Turns out Coulson _does_ indeed live. Joss said it himself. Google if you want proof. I had a fandork attack and was squealing upon finding out.

**Disclaimer: ** I do not own The Avengers

**Fourth to Forgive: Tony**

"Pepper, you promised me that you were going to stay away from him."

"Tony, he needed to know about Phil. Something to take one regret off his conscious."

"Thor could have told him." Tony argued.

"Thor didn't know at the time, and I did. And by the way, I told him he could visit the lounges, the roof, and the gym." Pepper said, calmly but firmly.

Tony's mouth fell open. "You told him _what_?"

"He's been locked up for almost three months! He told me himself he hadn't even seen the sun in all that time. You can't just lock him up and only let him have access to two parts of the tower! It's not good for him, and he'll get bored!" Pepper replied. "You don't want a bored demi god on your hands, do you?"

Tony frowned, knowing he'd been bested. A bored Loki was not something that sounded like it would be good. "Fine."

Pepper studied him a moment before steering him to his bed, and making him sit down, before sitting beside him. "Tony, why are you letting Loki stay here?"

"We owe Thor."

"Not good enough."

Tony frowned. "Those scars…."

"What about them?"

"They made me flashback Pep. To my torture. When I came out of it, my scars healed, aside from this," he tapped the arc reactor "I escaped, and I made it out okay. I made it out better even. He didn't. Thor said those scars will never heal, he couldn't escape, and he certainly did not make it out okay. He did what he did because it was his only way out, and then he goes home and gets disowned and mistreated. Thor comes to me with this scared and beaten guy, and what am I supposed to do? Throw him out?"

"You relate to him." Pepper said, rubbing a hand over Tony's shoulder.

"No."

"Tony."

"_No_."

"_Tony_."

"Fine! Fine, I do!" Tony exclaimed. "He's, admittedly, a genius. The bastard has a sense of humor. And he's got guts."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I'm sticking my neck out for a guy who tried to take over the entire friggin' planet, who killed Coulson, and he could have asked for help the entire damn time. He could have said something."

"You and I both know that no one would have believed him."

"What about Thor?"

Pepper paused before she shook her head. "Maybe he would have, but Loki probably didn't think he would."

"He's his goddamn brother!"

"I don't know anything about the circumstances that led to this whole mess, but something happened that made Loki not trust Thor. Thor didn't tell you what?"

"He did."

"And?"

"…It makes sense that Loki wouldn't have trusted him to believe him." Tony grumbled.

Pepper raised her eyebrows, but before she could say anything, JARVIS's voice sounded.

"_**Sir, Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff have returned. They are requesting to know what you have required authorization for their entrance to the tower."**_

"Shit." Tony muttered, getting up and heading toward the door.

"Authorization required for Clint and Natasha?" Pepper questioned, although she knew full well why Tony would require JARVIS to alert him of their return. "What're you going to tell them?"

"Not the truth. I dunno, I'll make something up on the way." Tony replied, exiting the room and heading toward the main entrance on the ground floor of the tower.

* * *

"What the hell Tony, you don't trust me and Nat?" Clint complained upon being let into the tower.

"Of course that's not true Robin Hood, you both have my implicit trust. Just a systems glitch." Tony stated smoothly. "I'm sure you both want to rest up, so if you want to go straight to your rooms, I've fixed the glitch."

"Cut the crap Stark, you're worried we're going to hurt Loki somehow." Natasha stated calmly, as the three entered an elevator.

"It's been a while since we've been on a last name basis, hasn't it Agent Romanoff?" Tony avoided her accusation.

"You're worried we're going to take him into custody or hurt him. I can assure you we have no such orders." Natasha replied. "Fury has given his word on this, remember?"

"Fury isn't well known for telling the absolute truth all the time. You would know that fact from personal experience, wouldn't you?"

"Christ, Stark, this was one thing I was worried was going to happen. Loki's tearing the goddamn team apart, making us all distrust each other. We can't effing function if we're all ganging up against each other." Clint snapped. "You said that you never said how long you'd let him stay. Maybe handing him over is the best thing for everybody."

Tony turned around to look at Clint. "Agent Romanoff went over this with Fury didn't she? Hand Loki over to S.H.I.E.L.D., kick Loki out of Stark tower, and Thor's gonna find him, take off with him, and then we won't be able to track him. And if Fury thinks Loki's a threat, having him here, being watched, is the best option."

"So you think he's not a threat?" Clint asked, his anger making his voice shake.

"Of course he's a threat. He's a threat to us if we threaten him, and so is Thor. He's not causing any problems, he's behaving himself. What we've been doing so far has been working. If it isn't broke, don't fix it, right?"

"He can't stay here forever Stark." Natasha said.

Tony didn't respond, thankful that the elevator stopped, and he got off, leaving the two agents behind him.

* * *

"Stark, I need The Avengers to come in _now_." Fury demanded, glaring at him from the flat screen in front of Tony.

"Where's the fire Morpheus?" Tony asked, not turning his attention to the screen as he poured himself another drink.

It was late, almost four in the morning, and Tony was in that infamous top floor room, glass of whiskey in hand, since he couldn't get to sleep with all the thoughts that were causing a whirlwind in his head. All of them concerning Loki.

"We've got people in danger, stop fooling around!"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Are you drunk Stark?"

"Getting there."

"Just wake everyone else the hell up and I'll give you the details."

"JARVIS? Wake everyone except Pepper."

"_**Right away sir."**_

Tony waited for a few minutes, trying to ignore Fury's critical gaze, when the elevator opened, and Bruce, Natasha, and Clint walked out of it, with Bruce the only one who looked groggy and disheveled. "Where's Thor?"

All three just shrugged in response.

It wasn't long afterward that the elevator opened again, and Thor strode into the room, accompanied by Steve, and an irritated looking Loki.

"Why the hell is he here?" Clint snapped, and Loki's looked of irritation turned to one of apprehension, and he started backing towards the elevator, but Thor grabbed his arm in a protective gesture.

"JARVIS?" Tony questioned in an exasperated tone.

"_**You told me to wake everyone except Miss Potts sir. I apologize if I misunderstood."**_

Tony groaned. Obviously he was getting buzzed if he had forgotten to tell JARVIS to exclude Loki. "You can leave if you want Loki." He grumbled.

"Perhaps Loki could be of assistance." Thor suggested, not letting Loki wrestle away from his grip.

"Whatever, we don't have time for this." Fury snapped, drawing their attention back to him. "Here's a video feed from the scene, in New Jersey, and this is all we've got at this point. Watch it and then get your asses over there."

The image of Fury was replaced by a residential area, where sparks were flying from downed electricity wires and fires from spilled gasoline from cars. There were shouts, and they could see S.H.I.E.L.D. agents running frantically around the area, with guns in hand. Then a tall man strode into view, although they couldn't see his face, who kept shooting bursts of flame and sparks from his hands, and redirected bullets with a wave of his hand. He seemed to finally notice the camera on him, and with a fist aimed at the camera, sparks shot out and the image burst into white light before the feed was disconnected.

"Well, let's get going, suit up guys." Tony said without a second's delay, and strode toward the panel in the wall that held his suit, but Loki managed to rip himself from Thor's grasp and grabbed the billionaire by the collar.

"Think about what you're dealing with. You don't even know what he's using to cause all that damage."

"And you do?" Clint snorted, folding his arms.

"I know magic when I see it." Loki snapped back. "I'm reluctant to offer, but I believe you could benefit from my help in this situation."

"Absolutely not!" Clint exclaimed.

"Loki's the only one of us here who has a good knowledge of magic. It would probably be far easier to complete this mission with his help." Steve put in. "Or do any of you know how to fight a sorcerer?"

"We managed against _him_."

"Oh, stop arguing. We can't just leave him here without someone watching him." Tony spat, wriggling out of Loki's grasp to put on his suit.

The others departed to get their gear without another word, even Clint, leaving Bruce, Thor, Loki, and Tony.

"Brother, you and I can get there the fastest." Thor said, giving Loki a meaningful look. "If you intend to come with us, that is."

"There are humans in danger and I… I owe a debt." Loki replied slowly. "Only you are _not_ carrying me this time, I can teleport myself just fine now."

Thor actually gave a chuckle. "Banner, do you intend to join us? I could bring you with me."

Bruce held up his hands. "I think I better stay here, in case you guys have any cuts and bruises that need patching up when you get back."

"Hold the fort until we get back then Jolly." Tony said, all suited up, and making his way out onto the patio to take off, with Thor right behind him.

"Jolly?" Loki questioned, raising an eyebrow at Bruce.

"I'll explain when you get back."

Loki shrugged and disappeared.

* * *

"Hey Prancer, would you hurry the hell up and figure out how to defeat this guy?" Tony's voice came over the earpiece Loki had been given by a very confused looking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent upon arriving to assess the situation with Thor and Tony.

"Stark, shut up, you keep giving away my location." Loki hissed, rolling out from behind an over turned car, and searching for somewhere else to observe as the car went up in flames shot by their enemy.

"Why don't you just get over here and help us fight head on?"

"Stark, I would ask that you give my brother a chance to do whatever he is planning." Thor replied, deflecting a burst sparks with Mjolnir.

Loki did not answer, presumably having found somewhere else to hide.

Tony didn't say anything, but he half suspected that Loki had only come so he could say he had put himself in harm's way for humans, but that he would spend the whole time hiding so as not to endanger himself. And after everything they'd done for him.

However, after a few minutes of dodging flames and bolts of electricity, getting hit by them, landing a few hits himself, and trying to bring the opponent to his knees, Loki's voice came over the speakers in Tony's suit. "_Distract him, keep his attention to the front._"

Thor must have heard too, because he instantly leapt out directly in front of the man, not even questioning whatever his brother was thinking.

Tony rolled his eyes and jumped from the roof he had positioned himself on top of to aid the god, and it was barely second afterward that the man fell flat on his face in front of them, his hands locked together in front of him, and his legs locked together, as if by some invisible force, which was probably exactly what it was, considering Loki appeared out of thin air beside them, with a smug look on his face.

The man rolled over, and began spitting at them. "I am The Magician! You will not take me prisoner, I am-" And then his mouth was moving, but no sound was coming out, after Loki waved a hand at him.

"Please, I've met apprentices more dangerous than you. You rely completely on your hands to cast spells, without the use of them, you're powerless." Loki said dismissively, wiping blood from a cut on his forehead.

"Looks like he managed to get you though." Tony noted, more out of concern than the intent of provoking the trickster.

"Actually, that was you when you blew up one of the cars I was hiding behind in an attempt to get him." Loki answered, wiping the blood on his hand on his jacket.

"Oh, ah, sorry." Tony mumbled.

But Loki actually gave an amused smile. "No harm done Stark. I'm impressed that your aim is as good as it is when you've clearly had too much alcohol."

Behind his mask, Tony's mouth dropped open. Had Loki actually just given him a compliment in the form of humor? That was… unexpected. And, at that moment, he found his doubts about Loki seemed to simply melt away.

Thor began laughing and clapped his brother around the shoulders. "Excellent work brother!"

Loki fidgeted and glanced at his feet, but there was no hiding the little smile on his face at Thor's words of praise.

"Come, we must get you back to the tower. The cut is bleeding rather badly." Thor said. "Can you use your magic?"

"Yes, I can at least make it there."

"What're we going to do with him?" Tony asked, gesturing at the angry man on the ground.

"Just leave him there, he's not going anywhere. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the area will arrest him, will they not?" Loki replied, giving the man one last condescending look.

And the three parted ways until they met up back at Stark Tower.

* * *

"Okay, I'd say you guys are as patched up as I can get you. We should all get some sleep now." Bruce stated, finishing up the bandaging on Loki's head. "We should all get a few hours, even if the sun's just about to come up."

"Superheroes don't keep regular hours Bruce." Tony said, stretching, and heading for the door of the medical bay, before he paused and turned around. "Hey, Loki."

Loki, who had just hopped off the examining table, looked at Tony curiously.

Tony came to stand directly in front of Loki, and extended his hand. "Thanks."

Loki's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he shook Tony's hand. "The least I could do to repay you for your hospitality."

"I never gave you that drink I offered you." Tony said, releasing Loki's hand and giving a lopsided smile.

"Perhaps later, when I am rested."

"Deal." Tony gave a nod at a very confused looking Thor and Bruce before leaving the room, and heading to the elevator, intending to go find one of the lounges to sleep in so that he wouldn't bother Pepper, but, to his horror, the elevator opened to reveal Clint, Natasha, and Steve.

"Tony, what the hell? The agents said you finished up the job in twenty minutes. Couldn't you wait for us to join the party?" Clint's tone was half irritated, half joking. "All that was left for us was clean up duty."

Tony stepped inside the elevator with them, not looking forward to the explanation he was going to have to give, but he started simply with one sentence. "Loki proved he's on our side tonight."

**End Chapter**

A/N: It is really hard to come up with nicknames that Tony would use. I hope the interaction between Loki and Tony was believable.


	7. Fifth to Forgive: Natasha

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Avengers.

**Fifth to Forgive: Natasha**

"On our side?" Natasha questioned in disbelief.

Tony explained what had happened, and when he was finished, Clint gave a snort.

"He was hiding from the fight, like a damn coward." Clint snapped.

"He wasn't." Steve spoke up. "That's his style, he told me about it. He evaluates the situation, and comes up with a plan before he fights, when he can. That's part of why he wasn't valued as much as Thor, he was seen as a weakling because he didn't rely on physical strength, even though he won plenty of battles."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't sound that different from some people I know." She gave the quickest sideways glance at Clint, which the archer unfortunately noticed.

"I do not hide from a fight." Clint grumbled, frowning at his partner.

"I didn't say you did, but it sounds like Loki didn't either."

"Are you taking his side Nat?"

"I'm not taking anybody's side."

"There's no point in arguing about it. Loki helped, saved a lot of lives, and he did it without being forced. Give the guy some credit." Steve cut in, looking sternly between the two agents.

Silence fell, and after a few moments, the elevator door opened at Natasha's floor.

She gave a quick nod to everyone in the elevator, and stepped out, heading for her bedroom, glad to be on her way to getting some rest, although she would probably be up in a few hours.

While her room was as large as the other bedrooms in Stark Tower, it was simple and minimally decorated. A couple paintings she liked, of landscapes and mountains, but that was it aside from the essential pieces of furniture.

She decided not to bother changing out of her uniform; she was used to sleeping in it anyway, and was just settling into bed, when one of the cell phones on her bedside table started beeping. She sighed and sat up to look at it. She had two cell phones, a personal one, and one for communicating with S.H.I.E.L.D., since she didn't always wear an earpiece. The one beeping was the S.H.I.E.L.D. one. She answered it, trying to keep the sleepy tone out of her voice. "Agent Romanoff."

"Romanoff, we have a problem." It was Fury's voice, and he sounded concerned.

"What is it Director?" Natasha asked, instantly back into duty mode.

"One of the agents present at the battle scene tonight let word get out that Loki was there. The council found out."

Natasha's eyes widened. "Do they know where he's staying?"

"Not at the moment, but I doubt it will take them long to figure it out." Fury said. "I'm sure you know what will happen when they do."

Natasha did indeed know. The council would send a swarm of agents to capture Loki, and then after that… Well, Natasha was all too aware of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s punishments, and Loki's punishments would be especially unpleasant. There was another part of the equation though, and that was that Tony, Steve, Bruce, and Thor would try to defend him, and possibly succeed, which would make them enemies of S.H.I.E.L.D., and make them have to battle the organization for the rest of their lives. No matter what happened, it wouldn't end well. "Is there a plan sir?"

"Keep Loki in the tower, and carry on as normal. At the moment there is no plan. The way things are now, we're going to have a miniature war on our hands." Fury's pessimistic voice answered. "Inform the other Avengers, and don't take any chances."

"Yes sir."

"Fury out."

Natasha hung up the phone, and set it back on the bedside table. She bit her bottom lip, thinking over what she had just been told.

All hell would break loose if Loki was taken into custody. Four of the six Avengers would strike back, and they would strike back hard. These were the people who had managed to contain an entire alien army, and who were already on S.H.I. .'s threat list. Clint would probably reluctantly fight against the Avengers. And where did she stand?

Was Loki worth defending? Worth risking death for? She may be able to help try to make things run as smoothly as possible, but which side would she be on? Fighting with her teammates, or against them?

"_I've got red on my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out."_

That statement she'd spoken to Loki rung in her head, and she turned the thought over again and again.

Finally, after nearly two hours, she came to her decision.

* * *

"The council knows Loki's on earth." Natasha didn't even bother with a hello, or a good morning as she walked into the kitchen area and found Steve, Thor, and Clint.

All the Avengers were aware of who the council were, and they all had different reactions to this information. Steve and Clint frowned, although they were very different kinds of frowns, and Thor instantly narrowed his eyes, drawing himself up into a protective posture, as if ready to battle at that moment.

"How'd they know?" Steve asked, running a hand through his already messy hair. Obviously he hadn't gotten any sleep either.

"An agent on the scene last night let the word out." Natasha answered simply, folding her arms.

"They will come for my brother, will they not?" Thor growled.

Natasha paused. "Most likely, after they find out where he is, which probably won't take them long."

"I will not let them touch him. I understand if you do not help, but I will not let him be punished further for something he had no blame for."

"No blame? He came here and killed-" Clint started.

"We're not going through this again Clint." Natasha warned, looking at him sternly.

"Loki's been through enough. It wouldn't be right to let S.H.I. . take him. If we have to defend him-" Steve started, addressing Thor.

"None of that may be necessary Steve." Natasha interrupted.

Steve looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Do you have a plan?"

"I'm in the process of forming one. I need a little time though, so we should keep him inside and do everything possible from making it obvious he's here." Natasha then turned to Thor. "Nobody's going to touch Loki."

"Do not make promises you cannot keep, but know I bear you no ill will whatever happens Agent Romanoff."

"No, I can't promise it, but I'll do my best to keep that from happening." Natasha replied.

Everybody in the room gave her puzzled looks.

"Why?" Clint asked, sounding almost betrayed.

"I'm making a different call." Natasha didn't elaborate as she left the room before anyone could say anything, knowing exactly where she had to go next. "JARVIS?"

"_**Yes Agent Romanoff?"**_

"Where is Loki?"

"_**He is in mechanics lab eight with Mr. Stark."**_

Natasha said nothing more, heading for the lab. Upon arriving, she glanced through the glass windows as she tapped in the security code, seeing Tony and Loki bending over something on one of the tables, deep in conversation, but they both looked up when she entered the room.

"Jesus, Nat, could you please use the chime?" Tony said, pulling up the goggles he was wearing. "I installed it for a reason."

"Sorry. I just came to inform you two that the council is aware of Loki's presence on earth. We had a loose lipped agent on the scene last night." Natasha replied, coming over to the table they were standing at and noticing that they were working on the next model of the Iron Man suit.

"Shit." Tony swore loudly, putting down the tool he'd been holding. "Do they know exactly where he is?"

"No, but it probably will only take a day or two for them to find out that he's here." Natasha replied. "We can delay them a bit, by keeping Loki inside the tower, and even away from any windows would be ideal. You should probably do a security check."

"Right." Tony said. "JARVIS?"

"_**Already working on it sir."**_

"I am still here you know." Loki said suddenly, obviously losing his patience at being spoken of like he wasn't in the room.

"Sorry buddy." Tony replied, looking for a moment like he was going to clap Loki on the back, and then thought better of it.

"I apologize. I should probably explain who the council-" Natasha began.

"I know who the council are. Barton told me." Loki said, not needing to specify when Clint had told him. "So they're going to find me?

"Most likely." Natasha said.

"I would not ask any of you to defend me. You have done more than enough. Perhaps it is time for me to face Midgardian justice."

Tony opened his mouth, but Natasha cut him off. "As I already told Steve, that might not be an issue."

Both Tony and Loki looked confused.

"What've you got in mind?" Tony asked.

"I have an idea for how to keep Loki here and the council off all our backs, but it's not something I can do. In fact, only one of us can do it."

"And who's that?"

"Clint."

"WHAT?" Tony exclaimed. "Clint wouldn't do shit to help Loki!"

"I know that, but I haven't been able to come up with any other ideas that don't involve bloodshed."

"What exactly is your plan?" Loki said, his fists clenched on the table in front of him.

"To tell the council that Loki is under the protection of Asgard, and that Asgard asked us to keep Loki here for a while, under surveillance. Thor can probably help vouch for the plan, but it needs to come from an agent, and they won't buy it if it comes just from me because of my area of expertise." Natasha explained, ignoring the new string of curses her plan made Tony start giving.

"Area of expertise?" Loki questioned.

"Interrogation. In other words, lying." Natasha said with a slight smirk.

Loki bit his lip and nodded. "Do you think you can persuade him?"

"I think I can."

"Well you better try, because I'd rather not have my tower blown to bits by a bunch of thugs." Tony grumbled, picking his tool back up, and gesturing at Natasha with it.

"Have a little faith in me Tony. My methods always work, don't they?" Natasha replied with a slight smirk.

A look of surprise passed over Tony's face, as he didn't fail to notice the use of his first name.

"If you'll excuse me, I have some files regarding my next mission to go over." Natasha gave a quick nod and left the lab. She was about ten paces down the corridor when Loki's voice stopped her.

"Why are you doing this?"

She turned around to see the god looking seriously at her, not surprised he'd followed her out of the lab. She thought a moment before she spoke. "I told you once that I have red in my ledger and that I'd like to wipe it out."

He nodded slowly.

"Your response was to tell me that it was pathetic, a child's prayer."

"I still believe that."

Natasha wasn't phased by the bluntness of his response. This was still Loki after all. "You have red in your ledger. And I think you'd like to wipe it out too."

Loki fidgeted slightly. "What I said about such a feat applies to me as well. There is no point to such an endeavor."

"If you really believed that, why did you go help last night?"

Loki said nothing.

"Someone gave me the chance to at least try to clean the blood off my hands, the chance at a new life. Nobody gave you that chance, not until now."

"I don't deserve it Agent Romanoff."

"Neither did I." Natasha replied. "Now, stay indoors and away from the windows, like I said. Maybe we can buy a few hours."

"I will. Thank you."

Natasha gave him the barest hint of a smile before going back on her way. "JARVIS, where is Agent Barton?"

"_**Agent Barton is in the main training room with Captain Rogers."**_

"And how's the security sweep?"

"_**Mr. Stark is in the process of writing an updated security program for me. It should enhance all security features."**_

Not feeling the need to thank a computer for a response, she continued to the training room in silence.

No, she wouldn't die for Loki. But she'd give him a chance. A chance that she did honestly believe he deserved more than she had. Hell if she'd tell him that though, he'd never agree with her anyway.

**End Chapter**

A/N: I'm sorry about the wait for this chapter guys, I've had a lot of craziness going on in my life lately.


	8. Sixth to Forgive: Clint

A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the longer wait than normal for this chapter, but this one was the hardest to do. With the style I wrote the story in, I didn't really have the ability to have Clint and Loki interact. Hopefully I came up with something believable.

Thank you so much to all my readers and reviews. I love you guys!

Warning for some dirty mouths, namely Clint and Fury's.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Avengers.

**Sixth to Forgive: Clint**

"You've got to be kidding me Nat." There was no tone of anger in Clint's voice, only disbelief.

After sending Steve out of the room, Natasha had explained her plan to Clint while he had thankfully listened patiently and silently. Now that the explanation was finished, he was reacting very much the way Natasha had suspected he would.

"How often have you know me to kid around about something like this?" Natasha replied, taking a seat on a pile of workout mats.

"You can't seriously expect me to stick my neck out for Loki." Clint grumbled, walking across the room to gather his arrows from the target set up there.

"No, but I can expect you to do it for the team, and safety of a lot of innocent people." Natasha replied. "You know there'll be a bloodbath if we can't prevent SHIELD from taking action against Loki and The Avengers."

"You really think that the others will stand up for him?"

"Thor's a given, we all know that. Loki's made friends with the others, even Pepper. They'll do whatever they can to try to help him." Natasha answered.

Clint began shoving the normal arrows he used for practice into a storage container. "Idiots."

"Yeah, maybe they are."

"And what about you? You willing to fight for him?"

"I don't know, and I hope I don't have to make that decision. I've already said, I'm not just doing this for him."

"Yeah, yeah, innocent bystanders."

"Not just them either."

"Who else then?"

"For me."

Clint paused in what he was doing to look up at his partner. "What?"

Natasha sighed. "Clint, it's entirely possible I've killed just as many, if not more, people than Loki has. I'll never know for sure, there weren't always complete causality counts from the bombs I planted during my former career."

"Nat-"

"Clint, don't argue with me, you know it's true." Natasha interrupted sternly. "As I already explained to Loki, I had someone to give me a chance to put all that behind me, start over. He has Thor, but Thor's not enough. Thor couldn't get him a second chance on Asgard, and Thor can't get him a second chance here. We can."

"He doesn't deserve it."

"Neither did I Clint."

Clint met Natasha's gaze but didn't say anything.

Natasha stood, folding her arms. "I'd say you've got some thinking to do Clint. I'll be understanding of whatever choice you make." She headed out the door without a backwards glance.

Clint stayed kneeling in front of the storage bin, the arrows he had been putting away lying forgotten on the floor next to him. He gripped the lid tightly as he considered the choice that had been forced upon him.

He understood the others reasons for their treatment of Loki, what they saw of themselves in him. He could figure it out easily enough without them saying a word to him about why. Thor's thousands of years not as just Loki's brother, but as his friend. Bruce's constant fight with an inner monster. Steve's chance to become something better. The fact that Pepper hadn't been directly affected by Loki's actions, and her forgiving nature. Tony's torture. Natasha's stained past.

How could Clint relate to the fallen prince? How could be ever forgive him for the hurt he had made him cause? For making him turn against Nat and SHIELD, against his team?

…_His team._

With a heavy sigh, Clint came to a final conclusion. "JARVIS?"

"_**Yes Agent Barton?"**_

"Put me through to Nat."

"_**Right away sir."**_

There was a moment of silence before Natasha's voice came over the hidden speakers in the room. "Yeah Clint?"

"Nat, I'll do it."

When she spoke again, Clint could hear the slight smile in her voice. "Thank you for your cooperation."

Clint couldn't help but chuckle. "Shut up Nat."

* * *

None of the Avengers had actually spoken to the council before, not even Clint or Natasha. Clint had always been a good SHIELD agent, and apparently the council didn't want to reveal their identities to a former spy, just in case Nat turned on them.

Fury had gotten the council to agree to speak to Tony, Thor, Natasha, and Clint, with Fury monitoring the conversation on a secure channel from the Helicarrier. Bruce and Loki were told that they were not allowed to be involved, while Steve was given no instruction as to where he was supposed to be. Steve ultimately decided he'd go with Pepper to find some new books for Loki, as he'd read almost every book in the library. Loki openly resented Bruce being told by Fury to "keep an eye on him", but didn't protest, opting to spend the day in one of the science labs under Bruce's supervision.

So there they were, four of the six Avengers, gathered in the conference room where this whole mess had begun nearly a year ago when Thor had first brought Loki to them and basically begged them to give his brother a safe haven. Three of the four did not regret that decision. One was still making up his mind.

The room was full of tense silence as they waited for the screen on the wall to come to life, Clint and Natasha sitting patiently, Thor pacing around the room, and Tony constantly squirming in his seat.

Finally the screen lit up, if you could even say that considering how dark the figures on it were, to hide their faces. However, everyone was fairly certain none of those faces would look pleased or remotely kind.

"Well then, let's get straight to the point. You have moved that we should leave the dangerous criminal Loki under your care instead of SHIELD taking him as a prisoner and giving him a just punishment." The one who spoke was clearly female, and sounded standoffish, as if she considered this a complete waste of time.

"That's exactly it." Tony replied immediately, earning him a poke in the ribs from Natasha.

"Let me and Clint handle this." She hissed.

Tony frowned but silently leaned back in his seat, putting his feet up on the table.

Natasha gave Clint the shortest sideways glance, and then he spoke. "Yes ma'am."

"I would hope you have good reason for this Agent Barton." The man that spoke had a Russian accent.

"Yes, we do."

"And they are…?"

"He's harmless sir. He was tortured into submission by the Chitauri to force him to attack earth in the first place, and then he was punished back home, rather severely. Not to mention that the crown prince of Asgard as asked us to keep his brother here, as more of his punishment." Clint explained.

"Is this true?" The same man asked, directing his attention to Thor.

"Yes, I was given instructions the king of Asgard, Odin All-Father, to bring Loki here to remained confined with myself and my friends until such time my father decides that my brother and I should return home." Thor said confidently. "If harm were to come to Loki, I fear Asgard's good relations with earth would be damaged."

"Is that a threat?" The man who had spoken this time was clearly American.

"Absolutely not! Asgard has protected earth for thousands of years! We would not cause any human harm, but we would be forced to take Loki back into our custody if any aggressive move were made against him."

"Why can't you just take him back to Asgard?"

"The device we use to travel between worlds has been destroyed. It took a great amount of magic to send us here, and we cannot go back for some time. I only ask that you grant us your hospitality and allow us to stay here. Loki is under my charge, I swear on my title as heir of Asgard that he shall cause no disturbances."

"Words mean little Prince Thor."

"And actions mean a lot." Tony spoke up, unable to keep quiet anymore, ignoring Natasha's scathing look. "He helped us with that problem the other night, completely of his own free will. No one forced him, no one even asked him. The guy who Thor brought to my tower is not the same guy who attacked midtown. He's behaved himself; he's trying to make up for what he did. You don't believe in second chances?"

"Some do not deserve second chances Mr. Stark." The woman put in.

"What about Agent Romanoff? Doctor Banner? Me?"

"You're citizens of this planet and have earned your second chances."

"So has he! He's still under punishment, remember, like Thor said? It's not like we're just letting him walk around wherever he wants and do anything he wants. He's confined to his room most of the time." Tony lied, convincingly. "We'll rough him up a bit if you'd like, but I'm telling you, taking him is not a good idea."

There was silence for a moment.

"We need to discuss this. We will contact you once we've reached a decision." The Russian said, and then the council disappeared to be replaced by Nick Fury.

"Do you think they will let my brother stay Director?" Thor asked.

Fury gave him a pointed look. "Do I look like I'm fucking psychic to you?"

* * *

To say Clint wasn't happy was an understatement. He was furious. He'd just had to defend someone he'd hated for almost two years, someone he would have killed without a second thought, and then not give a backwards glance or second thought to. As he made his way to go get Bruce and Loki, he fumed and glared at everything.

He hadn't been told to go get them; he was going of his own accord. He hadn't told anyone because he knew Thor would never allow it, but he'd finally realized that he had to interact with Loki, had to see what he was like, for the sake of the team.

He stopped in front of the glass door of the lab, knocked once, and then typed in the security code. The door opened. So Tony at least hadn't changed the codes to keep him out of some parts of the tower. He entered and he didn't fail to notice the way that Bruce and Loki tensed up when he entered. "Meeting's over."

"Uh, what was the decision?" Bruce asked.

"There hasn't been one, the council is gonna call back after they do make their decision." Clint answered. "Who knows what they're gonna do?"

"They won't let me stay." Loki muttered.

"They're not gonna take you." Clint stated.

Loki looked at the archer in utter surprise. "What?"

"Bruce, I wanna talk to him alone." Clint said.

"Look, Clint, I know you're not a bad guy, but-" Bruce started, taking a step towards Hawkeye.

"JARVIS is monitoring me right? Everything I do? If I even try to hurt him he'll alert Tony and I'll have my ass handed to me before I can even do any damage." Clint said. "Wait outside the door if you're so concerned."

Bruce gave Loki a questioning glance, silently asking what he thought.

"Let him speak to me. There's things we need to talk about, and I can't avoid it forever." Loki said emotionlessly, his eyes never leaving Clint's.

Bruce hesitated, but then slowly left the room without any more arguing, standing outside with his back to the door, to at least give them some form of privacy.

There was silence for a moment before Loki spoke. "Agent Barton, I owe you a bigger a apology than I can ever actually express."

"You do."

"If I could some how make it up to you, I would."

"You may be able to." Clint replied, folding his arms.

Loki looked confused. "What?"

"It'll take a while, but you may be able to."

"How?"

"By keeping on doing what you did the other night. Saving people. You save as many people as you've killed, and I'll call it even. And there's something else you're going to have going to have to do for me." Clint replied, still not breaking eye contact with Loki.

"What's that?"

"You'll find out. Now come on, we've all decided to wait in the conference room until the damn council calls back."

Loki obediently followed Clint out of the lab, where a puzzled looking Bruce was still standing outside the door.

* * *

"We have come to a decision." It was the American man who announced this when the screen lit up.

Bruce and Loki were hiding in a corner where the council wouldn't be able to see them, and were both holding their breath without even realizing it.

Nobody said anything to prompt the council to tell them what the decision was.

"SHIELD is going to take the criminal into custody, and we will remove Nick Fury as the director of SHIELD."

Thor couldn't help but looking over had Loki, who had begun trembling against his will.

"Actually, you're not going to." Another screen in the room lit up, and the face of Maria Hill appeared, and she did not look happy.

All four council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"Agent Hill, I don't know what is causing you to interrupt an important private communication-" The woman started.

"Do you remember a certain incident nearly two years ago? One that I told you that would be brought up if you came after Director Fury?" Hill interrupted confidently.

It didn't take a sixth sense to feel the discomfort that was radiating off the members of the council, even through the darkened screen.

"Agent Hill-!"

"Here's the deal. Nick Fury remains Director of SHIELD, Loki remains at Stark Tower under the surveillance of the Avengers, and while he is confined to the tower, he is to leave with the Avengers on missions if SHIELD deems his powers to be of use. There will always be a SHIELD agent watching him if it is decided he is not to be involved in a situation. This is his penance." Hill stated firmly, her hands folded on the table in front of her.

The council obviously had no choice but to accept Hill's terms.

"You will send five SHIELD agents and have them in the tower at all times." The Russian man ordered.

"Three. We already have Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton in the tower. That altogether is five." Hill declared, not to be moved.

"This is completely out of line Agent Hill." The American man growled threateningly.

"So is trying to blow up Manhattan." Hill countered.

"End of transmission." The woman snapped before any of the other council members could say anything, and the screens went black.

All attention turned to Hill.

"Thank you Agent Hill." Natasha said.

"It was for Nick Fury." Was all Hill said in response to that, but she gave a slight nod to her fellow agent. She then cast her eyes over to Loki was still standing in the corner with Bruce, a look of relief on both their faces. "So you're Loki."

Loki studied her. "Yes."

Hill studied him herself for a moment. "You don't look that dangerous to me."

To everyone's surprise, Loki actually laughed. "Perhaps not, but I assure you that you would not like to test that assumption for yourself."

"Why is Fury helping Loki?" Bruce asked suddenly before Hill could cut the transmission.

Hill blinked, paused, and then answered. "Nick Fury believes in second chances. I think some of you would know that by now."

Bruce and Tony shifted uncomfortably, while Natasha bit her lip in response to what had just been said.

"Hill out." The screen went blank.

"Well." Clint said, breaking the silence. "Let's hope Fury doesn't send three complete friggin' morons."

* * *

One of the three was a moron. Fury sent two men, Agents Michaels and Takahada, and a woman, Agent Anders. Michaels was the moron, a new recruit Clint figured, who'd been sent to gain some training under Takahada, and considering Takahada spent most of his time lecturing or directing Michaels. Agent Anders was the only one who seemed to have been actually sent to keep an eye on Loki, considering she was the only one who was actually in a room with him when he stayed behind while the Avengers were on a mission. Clearly Fury really did believe the Loki situation wasn't serious.

A month passed, and Clint kept count of all the people Loki helped save. There had been eighty dead in the result of the portal collapsing in New Mexico, the man in Germany, and the two guards Clint had been forced to kill in Germany. Ultimately he had decided to count the causalities from New York, there were too damn many to keep track of completely. By the end of the month, with the number of people he had saved that first night he had helped them included, Loki had saved eighty-seven people total. It was even.

So Clint sought him out one day when they returned from a mission, which Loki had not gone on, and found him sitting on the floor of the top floor lounge with Agent Anders. "Anders, you can go off duty."

"Yes sir." Anders said obediently, getting up and leaving without a single argument.

Loki stood. "What can I do for you Agent Barton?"

"We're even."

"Excuse me?"

"I counted the total of people you had to save at eighty-three. You've saved eighty-seven. You've almost paid off your debt."

Loki looked stunned. "Almost?"

Without warning, Clint pulled back his fist and punched Loki on the side of the face, causing him to fall back onto the floor.

"_**Agent Barton, I'm going to have to inform Mr. Stark-"**_

"Wait, JARVIS, tell Stark it's all right. I deserved that."

"_**Mr. Odinsin, I do not-"**_

"I told you not to call me that." Loki said in an almost poisonous tone that Clint hadn't heard in a long time as he climbed to his feet, rubbing his face. "I suppose that was the other thing I had to do in order for you to consider the matter closed."

"And it's closed."

Loki actually chuckled. "A more than fair exchanged, I'd say."

"Fair by my standards." Clint replied, folding his arms. "Welcome to the team. Unofficially of course."

"The day I'm made an Avenger is the day I become completely convinced that there is truly no sanity in any of the nine realms." Loki answered.

"Probably right." Clint said with a lopsided smirk, and turning to leave the room, but at that moment Steve and Tony burst out of the elevator.

"What the hell Clint? JARVIS said that you punched Loki and that he was _okay_ with it!" Tony exclaimed, striding right over to Clint and getting in his face while Steve went over to inquire if Loki was okay, at which the trickster rolled his eyes.

"Stark, Agent Barton and I were just clearing some thing up. It's nothing to be concerned about. In fact, I should think you can stop tracking his movements now." Loki said.

"So you've made friend?" Tony asked as Clint took a step back to try and get some form of personal space.

"I believe the term is, how do you put it, frenemy?" Loki replied.

**End Chapter**

A/N: None of these agents I've brought in will have a large part in the story in any way. Agent Anders will have maybe one or two more brief appearances, and be mentioned occasionally, but I'm not bringing an OC with a large part in.

I'll probably get someone asking how Loki knew the term "frenemy". I figured he's been hanging out with Tony, and it's the kind of thing Tony would say, so he heard it from him.

I wrote the ending to this chapter about four times before I finally came up with one I liked. I'm also pretty sure this may be the longest fan fiction chapter I've ever written.


	9. Seventh to Forgive: Coulson

A/N: I'm sorry about the wait, my dear readers. I've started back to school. My classes are on Mondays and Wednesdays, and I'm on campus from 2:00-10:00. It's only twice a week, but the craziness certainly amounts to less time to write.

Not to mention I'm finally on a roll with my novel.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Avengers.

**Seventh to Forgive: Coulson**

So that was it.

Loki had reconciled with his brother. He had become friends with Bruce, Steve, Pepper and Tony (even if Loki wouldn't admit it). He had formed a connection with Natasha, which was probably not best described as a friendship. He had at last come to a truce with Clint. He was even called in to go on more missions with the Avengers, although he was still sometimes left behind in the company of Agent Anders (his "babysitter", as Tony called her).

After a couple weeks, Fury informed them that Agents Takahada and Michaels were being sent away ("good riddance" Clint had grumbled), and someone would be coming to inspect the measures being taken to manage the "Loki situation". However, he failed to mention who was doing the inspection.

"Maybe it's Agent Hill." Steve speculated when the Avengers, plus Agent Anders and Pepper, were spending an afternoon in a favored lounge, waiting for the inspector to arrive.

"I doubt it, she's with Fury all the time. She's basically his right hand, and in line to replace him someday." Clint replied dismissively.

"Well, I don't suppose you agents know who Eye Patch is sending?" Tony asked from behind the bar, where he was mixing drinks for Pepper and himself.

All three agents in the room shook their heads.

"Not even you, Andy? You're in contact with Fury most often." Tony asked Agent Anders.

She did not look up from her place on the floor having a chess match with Loki, but frowned, obviously not pleased with Tony's nickname based on her last name. "No, I don't." She stated simply.

"Aw come on, you can tell us."

Agent Anders ignored him.

"_**Sir, there is a SHIELD agent requesting access to the tower." **_JARVIS's voice came suddenly, keeping Tony from doing anymore prodding.

"That will be the inspector. I'll go show them here." Anders said, getting up and leaving the room.

"Real friendly, that one." Tony snorted, taking a sip of his whisky.

"She's not here to make friends Tony. She's just doing her job. Don't make it any harder for her." Natasha said, rolling her eyes at Tony from across the room.

"I'm going to get a book." Loki muttered suddenly, and left the room as quickly as Anders had.

"So why is Agent Anders staying while the other two are leaving anyway?" Bruce asked, looking up from the couch in the center of the room where he was scribbling equations in a notebook.

"Maybe Fury thinks Loki needs less supervision, but still some?" Steve suggested with a shrug.

Thor, who had been looking out of a window in the room, turned to face the others. "Actually, I asked the director if she could stay here."

"What? Why?" Steve asked, sitting down in an armchair.

"I believe she has been having a positive effect on my brother." Thor replied.

"I agree with Thor. Haven't any of you noticed that he doesn't complain about being left alone with her like he used to when she first arrived?" Pepper added, snuggling up to Tony as he snaked an arm around her waist.

"I rather think Loki enjoys Charlotte's company." Thor mused, a smile twitching at his lips.

"_Charlotte_?" Tony said.

"What, she's got to have a first name right? Or is her first name 'agent' too?" Pepper teased.

"Of course she's got a first name, but this opens up a whole new realm of nicknames. You guys know 'Charlotte's Web' right? OW!" His statement had earned him a hard poke in the ribs from Pepper.

A few more minutes passed, before the door opened again and Agent Anders walked in, looking slightly shaken. Everyone was confused as to why she seemed that way until the person behind her entered the room.

Everyone who had been sitting down sprung to their feet, and there was a round of different shouts, but they were all for the same person.

"Phil!" "Coulson!" "Agent Coulson!"

Coulson smiled at everyone in the room. "Hello."

Pepper detached herself from Tony, and rushed over to him and hugged him, leaving Coulson standing there awkwardly for a moment before he returned the hug. "Oh my god, Phil, it's so good to see you!" Pepper exclaimed, pulling back.

"It's good to see you all too."

The others came forward as well, handshakes from Clint, Bruce, Steve, and Natasha, and slaps on the back from Tony and Thor.

"So, Phil, were you really, well, dead?" Tony asked. "Oh, want a drink?"

"A gin and tonic would be nice I suppose." Coulson replied, and Tony walked back to the bar to mix the drink. "As for the first question, well, not entirely."

"What do you mean not entirely? You make it sound like The Princess Bride, you know, 'only mostly dead'." Tony said, raising an eyebrow at the agent.

"That actually isn't that bad a description of it Mr. Stark."

"Tony."

"I'm sorry?"

"Tony. Jesus Phil, call me Tony. We've known each other five years."

Coulson was silent, regarding Tony with questioning eyes.

"Anyway, how did you survive?" Bruce asked, returning to his seat.

Coulson directed his attention to the physicist. "Do you know that idea that there are seven minutes of brain activity after death? They managed to revive me during those seven minutes. It was not… pleasant."

"If Loki asks about this, I would request you leave out that last part." Thor said, his smile faltering at the realization that Loki would have to interact Coulson.

"I wasn't even thinking of mentioning it to him." Coulson said.

It was at that moment that the door to the room opened, and Loki entered, clutching a book and looking irritated. "Damn it Stark, did you reorganize-" Loki stopped midsentence and mid-step when he noticed Coulson, his eyes widening. His grip on his book tightened, but he did not look away from the agent. "A-Agent Coulson."

Coulson gave a nod in his direction.

It seemed time had stopped in the room, no one was moving, and the silence was suffocating.

"I- Well-" Loki was obviously grasping for the right words, even unsure if there were any right words. "I am sorry. But that's not enough, is it?"

Coulson gave an answer that not a single person in the room expected to hear. "It's enough."

There was a second or two of disbelieving silence.

"What the hell Coulson? Are you serious?" Clint exclaimed, thoroughly confused. "He put a frickin' hole in your chest."

Loki cringed ever so slightly.

"Um, sorry." Clint muttered to the demigod, deciding it was probably a good idea to retreat to a corner of the room.

"Director Fury explained everything to me. Although I have never experienced torture myself, I have seen the effects it has on a person many times. It turns honest men into liars. It turns pacifists into killers." Coulson explained in his usual calm tone.

"I have always been a liar, and I've hardly ever been a pacifist." Loki snorted.

"But you have never been a killer, brother." Thor replied warmly, stepping over to Loki and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Not without good cause, and you have never lied without cause."

Loki pretended to ignore his brother, but by the way he straightened up slightly, Thor's words had obviously had their intended effect.

"SHIELD has wiped your name from the files as the leader of the attack. As such, I have wiped away your name as my killer." Coulson stepped forward and held out his hand. "The matter is settled."

Loki hesitated, but ultimately took Coulson's hand, and shook it briefly.

"Right! Booze for everyone!" Tony yelled, finally coming over with Coulson's drink. "Seriously, anyone want a Bloody Mary? Sake? Long Island Iced Tea? I got pretty much everything. Help yourselves!"

Clint was instantly at the bar, and grapping a bottle of champagne.

"Hey, Hedwig, NOT the champagne!" Tony shouted, scrambling back to the bar.

"You said to help ourselves!" Clint snapped.

"Fine, I'll be more specific next time!" Tony growled, as he began trying to pry the bottle away from Clint.

"You're going to break it!" Pepper chastised, going over to the bar.

Bruce and Steve quietly helped themselves to some red wine, while Natasha sat on one of the couches and attempted to ignore the chaos, and Thor and Anders laughed heartily.

"I'll just go start my investigation." Coulson grumbled, leaving the room.

Loki looked around the room. A room full of people who had forgiven him. A room full of people who had accepted him. A room full of people who even liked him.

And when the bottle did break, spurring Tony and Clint's confrontation to get worse (and more humorous), Loki began laughing.

**End Chapter**

A/N: Agent Anders will not be appearing again, although she might be mentioned. I know some people don't like OCs all that much, and I just want to make it clear. Her purpose in being in the story at all is to show Loki no longer looks down on humans and is able to make friends with them. I hope I got that across.

Two more chapters before the end. I apologize, I know this chapter was short, but I thought it fit with Coulson's character to have the whole interaction go smoothly and quickly.


	10. Acceptance

A/N: Second to last chapter! Thanks so much to everyone!

I'm sorry this took so long to get up; I didn't really have any motivation to work on this chapter. I had to force myself. I'm glad I'm almost at the end, I'm losing steam on this, but I'm going to finish it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Avengers.

**Acceptance **

Loki sliced the throat of one of the hideous mutant creatures, letting out an infuriated growl. This was taking too long, and costing him too much energy. It was costing them _all_ too much energy.

The Avengers (and Loki) had been called to deal with an outbreak of genetically engineered creatures that had been terrorizing areas of Utah. They had tracked where the creatures were originating from, and found there were coming from a facility hidden deep the ground of a canyon in the state. That had been a major embarrassment for SHIELD, not being aware of its existence (and that had caused Tony no small amount of pleasure).

Loki had been called on the grounds that every available person able to help should be there.

Thor had given him back his armor, which had been taken from him when the Avengers had captured him, and the scepter, which SHIELD had kept, and had finally allowed Tony to examine it. He had found technology that altered brain waves inside of. So, in addition to the torture, the Chitauri had been controlling him on some level, changing his thoughts without him even realizing it. Tony had removed and destroyed the tech. Thor had encouraged Loki to get rid of it, because it was a remnant of what had happened, but Loki had decided to keep it in the end. It was an excellent weapon, after all.

Without giving a glance to the felled bodies at his feet, Loki hurried off toward the edge of the canyon. He was supposed to be guarding the perimeter, but they were going to be here all day and night at this rate. He had to get to the center of the action. When he was about to call the Captain and tell him his decision, he realized with a stab of irritation that his earpiece was gone; it must have fallen out without him noticing.

The first person he found was Barton, hiding behind a stack of rocks, sniping off creatures as they climbed up out of the canyon. Loki approached him, making his footsteps loud enough for the archer to hear, not wanting to surprise him and end up with an arrow shot into his face.

When Loki was crouching beside him, Barton turned his attention to the demigod. "I thought you were supposed to be guarding the perimeter with Tony."

Loki snorted. "Did you really think I'd stay there and let the rest of you have all the fun?"

Barton rolled his eyes as he took another shot, his aim dead on.

"What's going on? Have Rogers and Romanoff made it inside the lab yet?" Loki asked urgently.

Barton picked off another target with pinpoint accuracy. "I'm not sure. Steve's communicator is broken. Last time Nat called in, she said that Hulk had cleared a path for them to the lab and she hasn't contacted me since. Anders called from the Quinjet a while ago and reported that the monitors say that fewer of these bastards are coming above ground, even if it doesn't seem like it. We _are_ actually decreasing their numbers."

"And Thor?"

"Took out his earpiece. Said it bothered him."

"Typical." Loki said. "Idiot."

"He's _your_ brother." The archer replied with a smirk.

Loki ignored him. "Do you think you can help cover me while I get down there?"

"Yeah, but I'm damn sure you don't actually need any cover." Barton scoffed, looking at Loki with a roll of his eyes as he let another arrow fly. "Not following Cap's orders?"

"I believe I have more experience fighting monsters than the good captain."

"Just get going."

Loki leapt over the rock they were hiding behind without another word, hearing Barton's arrows whizzing past him. Loki had to reluctantly admit that he was impressed by the archer's accuracy and skill. Maybe they would eventually end up friends someday after all. Upon finding himself having to be almost constantly killing creatures, he cost the energy to make himself invisible, until he reached the entrance to the compound. He slipped inside, and dropped the spell.

This entrance was unguarded and empty. He suspected that Widow and the Captain had already been through here, likely the Hulk as well, judging by the reckless damage to the walls. A little ways ahead, he saw the Widow and the Captain on a walkway below him, creeping along, heading downwards.

Loki considered joining them, but decided against it, continuing forward by himself, the path of destruction likely caused by the Hulk still lining the corridor. After a ways forward, he found the Hulk, trying to force open a massive door. "Banner." He addressed him calmly, knowing the Hulk would not harm him.

Over the months, Banner had gained the realization that if he went willingly into the "Other Guy", he maintained more control over himself, like he and the Hulk worked together instead of against each other. Thus far, any transformation had been willingly and intentional.

The Hulk ceased his efforts and turned around. "Puny God."

Loki sighed and rolled his eyes. The Hulk always called him that. "Will you allow me to try to open the door?"

The Hulk stepped back, but Loki waved him farther away before he blasted the door open with the scepter.

Loki strode forward, and Hulk followed him. "Banner, I would prefer you stay behind."

"Hulk stay with Puny God." Came the response.

Loki gave a snort. Banner's friendship with him was affecting the Hulk's behavior. He felt slightly touched by this.

To Loki's surprise, it didn't take long to find what had to be the power source to the installation, which sat in the center of a metal pit, and it wasn't well guarded, which instantly put him on his guard. However, it seemed that wasn't entirely good enough as he barely dodged laser fire that began raining from the ceiling from hitting him critically, but a searing pain in his leg told him he was hit, and he doubted he'd be able to properly walk on it for a few days.

Hulk was off, jumping towards the ceiling to destroy the guns. "Puny god stay back!" Came the roar, tinted with more of Banner's voice than Loki had ever heard.

"Sentiment." He snorted to himself, nonetheless staying back in the shadows where hopefully he would be safe, and checking his leg.

A good portion of the flesh of his right calf was burned, almost black in some patches, and he didn't have the energy to completely heal it. Blast him for following the Captain's orders for so long, this wouldn't have happened if he had taken off on his own earlier.

While the Hulk was still raging, Loki observed the room, looking for anything that might be used to shut off the power. After not seeing any switches, panels or buttons, Loki came to a single idea. The power source looked to be a knock off of an arc reactor, a bad one at that, but more than even that, he reminded him of the machine that Selvig had used to open the portal in Manhattan, and Romanoff had told him how she had shut it off. Presumably the same thing would work here, using the scepter to cut the power.

There was a problem though. Judging how poorly built the thing was, it was likely that it wouldn't go as smoothly, that whoever did the action would die, that the energy would escape outward, and no telling how far away would be safe.

Against his will, Loki felt a lump form in his throat. So this was to be it for him then. To die stopping something similar to a mess that he had been involved in what seemed like so long ago now. It was a worthy, honorable death. He'd be setting things right, paying off his debts.

Hulk jumped back down to Loki's side, and Loki wasted no time in giving orders.

"Find Rogers and Romanoff, tell them to get out."

Hulk tipped his head to one side. "Why?"

"Because it half a minute, I'm going to make this place go up in flames."

"And then you come back?"

Loki grumbled inwardly. Banner's training in controlling the Hulk had taken away the "mindless beast" and left a self-aware fighting machine. Perhaps Loki shouldn't have encouraged him to "tame" the Hulk. "Just go."

Hulk paused for a moment before he stalked off.

Loki turned back to the pit, limping closer and clutching the scepter tightly. He was composed, unafraid; the idea of death was nothing new to him. The only thing on his mind was how Thor would react. He doubted he'd ever forgive him; he'd probably both mourn and curse Loki until the end of his long days. Loki hated to do that to his brother, but there was no choice here. He only hoped some part of Thor would be proud of him.

He waited a minute, longer than he had said he would, and tossed the scepter like a javelin into the power source.

The feedback was immediate. A blue wave of hot energy knocked him backwards, slamming him painfully into the wall, so that he hit his head. A massive fire was starting down in the pit; soon it would probably spread upwards and engulf everything. He tried climbing to his feet, but he was dizzy and slipping into unconsciousness, the blow to his head had probably been too hard even for his skull.

But something had picked him up, and he recognized the size and grip of Hulk's hands, and was briefly aware of the sensation of flying upward.

But then that was all, everything went black.

* * *

Loki's eyes slowly drifted open, but he shut them tightly again upon being met with a bright light. "Turn it off." He croaked.

The light went off immediately, and Loki opened his eyes again.

Loki felt a hand slip into his, the touch gentle. He recognized that touch, and turned to the person sitting beside the bed he was reclining on. "Thor?"

"I am glad you are awake brother. They said it might have been days more before you regained consciousness." Thor said, relief written plainly on his face.

"Where am I? How long have I been asleep?" Loki asked, taking in the dimly lit room.

"In an infirmary on the Helicarrier. You have been asleep two days, and gave us all quite a fright, although the healers here said you were in no extreme danger, just a burn and a concussion. Nothing much for someone of your healing abilities."

"All?"

"Myself and our friends." Thor replied, looking genuinely confused at Loki's question.

"_Your_ friends. They were likely worried because they knew you would slip into some kind of devastating depression if I died." Loki grumbled.

"They are _your_ friends too brother. You know that is true."

Loki chose to ignore that statement. "Where are they anyway?"

"They will be here shortly. They are speaking with Fury."

"And how much trouble am I in this time and what is it for?"

"None, I am sure. You stopped our foe, and saved many lives." Thor answered. "I do not understand why you still think humans wish to make you suffer, you have more than redeemed yourself."

Loki sighed, closing his eyes. "I'll believe that when I see proof of it."

"Oh, you will." Thor said, and Loki opened his eyes to give Thor a questioning glance, but Thor said nothing more to elaborate what he meant. "I know your time here has been difficult, but I have seen it also get easier for you, seen you change. You're willing to give your life for those around you; you showed concern for our comrades according to Banner. I am proud of you Loki."

Loki couldn't stop his mouth from opening slightly and his eyes from widening. Those words, those five words, were the words Loki had always wanted to hear more than anything. Now he had heard them, and he had no idea what to say. "Brother…"

Thor moved his hand to Loki's shoulder and gave him a gentle affectionate shake, smiling warmly at him, which Loki knew was a signal to tell him that he didn't need to say anything. "I must ask not to do something so rash again however."

Loki snorted and sat upright, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, but ended up leaning back against the wall, irritated that he still felt sleepy.

"Easy brother." Thor cautioned, moving to sit beside him.

"Oh, come on, I have had far worse than this and you know it." Loki said.

Thor didn't have a chance to reply because the door to the room slid open, and the other five Avengers filed into the room.

"How're you feeling buddy?" Stark asked, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

Loki would have killed him for calling him "buddy" barely a year ago. Now he just let his lips twitch upward. "I have admittedly been better, but also worse."

"We've got some news for you." Rogers said, cutting off the millionaire opened his mouth to say something.

"Oh?" The trickster asked.

"You've been made an Avenger." Rogers answered, smiling a little too brightly.

Loki sat up straight. "_What_?"

"You're an Avenger. We figured you've been fighting with us so long, we may as well just make it official." The Captain explained.

Loki looked around the room at them all. "Have you all gone mad?"

"I think we already were." Stark put in.

"How did Fury even agree to this?" Loki asked, ignoring Stark.

"We spoke to him about it. It didn't take much convincing for him to consider it actually, but he did ultimately have us put it to a vote. The vote was unanimous in favor of it." Banner answered this time.

"Unanimous?" Loki said, eyes drifting around the room, lingering on Barton the longest, and the archer merely shrugged.

Loki leaned back against the wall again. "Me… An Avenger…."

"You can turn the position down if you want. We can't exactly force you." Banner said.

Once again Loki surveyed them all, and all he found in their expressions was acceptance, and in the case of Thor, the Captain, and Banner, hope that he would say yes. "Well…" He finally breathed. "I'll try my best not to let you down, my friends."

**End Chapter**

A/N: Epilogue and then done with this.

Again, I'm extremely sorry for the wait with this.


End file.
